California cheese company to open a new production plant
The Hilmar Cheese Co. plans to build a production plant in the small Panhandle town of Dalhart, bringing thousands of jobs to the region.
01/12/05 The Hilmar Cheese Co. factory will provide an economic impact to Amarillo of $570 million in the next 10 years, according to the Amarillo Economic Development Corp., which provided a $5 million grant to the Hilmar, Calif., company.
The company is the largest single-site cheese and whey products manufacturer in the world, according to a news release from Texas Gov. Rick Perry's office.
Amarillo's grant is part of a larger incentive package that includes $7.5 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund and additional funding for transportation improvements and work force training. The state is expected to garner a 600 percent return on its investment, the release states.
Perry formally announced the $190 million factory Wednesday in Dalhart. The contract between the enterprise fund and Hilmar guarantees about 2,000 new jobs, Perry spokeswoman Kathy Walt said.
The factory will employ more than 350 workers, and the company has committed to new independent milk producers and new dairies across the region that will create an additional 1,600 jobs over the next 10 years, she said.
