Two years ago, a dairy processing plant closed near Dawson, taking away jobs and leaving behind a large, empty space in the industrial park. SWIF joined forces with local and state economic development partners and last July, we participated in our largest loan ever to bring in Bluegrass Proteins, Inc. The company purchased the Dawson plant and hired over 50 employees.
Bluegrass Proteins is a rural Kentucky company that makes milk protein products, like cheese, cream, butter and powders. They have production facilities in Glasgow and Springfield, Kentucky. In Dawson they produce dry whey, a milk byproduct used as a food additive.
“Bluegrass was an excellent opportunity for our Business Finance Program to show its flexibility in providing gap financing that the project needed,” said Business Finance Director Amy Woitalewicz.
An available facility and proximity to dairy resources attracted the company to southwest Minnesota. The project was also one of the first approved through DEED’s new Minnesota Job Creation Fund. This pay-for-performance program requires participating businesses to meet criteria like job creation and private investments.
