The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has awarded the city of Milton grant funding to extend a rail line to the city’s new chocolate factory.
The Transportation Economic Assistance (TEA) grant will help the city extend the Wisconsin Southern/WATCO rail line to Clasen Quality Chocolate (CQC), so the factory can receive its sugar and oil by rail. The $1 million project will receive a quarter of its funding through the TEA grant.
“TEA grants support great projects across Wisconsin where local officials see ways to advance economic development through infrastructure improvements,” Gov. Evers said. “And deals don’t get much sweeter than finding a way to help deliver sugar to a chocolate factory.”
Construction on the project will start later this year. CQC will invest an estimated $105 million to construct and equip the 350,000-square-foot plant. Built in multiple phases, the first phase is expected to be operational by Fall 2022 and create 50 jobs.
“Clasen Quality Chocolate is making a major investment in Milton, and we are pleased to support their cooperative efforts with local officials,” Secretary-designee Craig Thompson said. “Helping communities offer good multi-modal infrastructure puts them in good position for economic growth.”
Since the beginning of 2020, the TEA program has awarded 13 grants totaling $6.4 million for transportation projects supporting business development projects that will create 1,200 new jobs in Wisconsin.
“We are excited for this partnership between the City, State, and Clasen Quality Chocolate,” said Milton City Administrator Al Hulick. “This project is the largest project in the history of the City of Milton and could not have been made possible without the substantial investment and commitment that CQC and the State of Wisconsin have made to see it through.”