January 21,2015
All systems are go on the planned CaliCheese plant in Tulare says company CEO Robert Moultrie.
Originally approved without an environmental impact report the ” final EIR is now expected to be heard in March “ says Moultrie with anticipated approval by the city council. The draft was released in September.
After a 30 day period the $250 million project will head into the home stretch finalizing all permits including Valley Air Board approval by June or earlier he says.
The company will be buying 60 acres from the city near the WWT plant.
With groundbreaking by June, the 300,000sf project will be on a 24 month construction schedule after going out to bid to both union and non-union suppliers.
Asked if the downturn in dairy prices in recent months including the weak export market are pause for concern ,Moultrie says “financing is secure because there is a 10-year contract in place” to buy all cheese and whey production from the plant from US companies.
The huge dairy facility will process 4 million lbs a day of milk. By comparison Tulare’s Land O Lakes plant processes closer to 12 million lbs a day of milk.
The development expects to hire 220.
