Heartland Produce Co. is being awarded $500,000 in state income tax credits from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. for a $29 million headquarters and distribution facility breaking ground on former Dairyland Greyhound Park land in Kenosha.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and WEDC secretary and CEO Missy Hughes announced the tax credit awards Thursday at a groundbreaking celebration.
The Kenosha produce distributor became the first to commit to the new business park, Greeneway Development, on the former Dairyland property. The Forest County Potawatomi Community and Milwaukee developer Zilber Property Group are leading that project.
Heartland Produce bought 31 acres of the former Dairyland site for a new facility that could grow to 180 employees. For now, the company is expecting to create 40 full-time jobs with average wages above $28 per hour.
WEDC is supporting Heartland Produce’s expansion plans with up to $500,000 in state income tax credits over the next three years. The actual amount of credits Heartland Produce will receive is contingent upon the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment during that period.
The project includes construction of a 205,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art produce distribution facility with room for future expansion. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the company saw increased demand, and the new facility will give Heartland Produce room to create additional fruit and vegetable ripening rooms to increase production.
Heartland Produce plans to move into its new building in spring 2022, Ryan Dietz, co-owner and vice president of operations for Heartland Produce, previously told the Milwaukee Business Journal. The company has about 150 employees now but could grow to about 180 once it’s in the new building, he said
The company bought 31 acres for its new building for $5.19 million, according to state records.
Heartland Produce started in 1989 in Elgin, Illinois, but moved to Kenosha in 1994. The company has more than 160 employees at its Kenosha location and at grocery stores around the state. Selling to independent grocery stores and national chains, Heartland Produce distributes fruits, vegetables, organics and locally grown produce through its Organic Indeed and Fresh Indeed brands.