HILBERT, WIS. — Irish dairy processor Ornua is expanding its Ornua Ingredients North America division with a $10 million investment in its Hilbert, Wis., cheese ingredients operation.

The expansion will add 22,000 square feet of warehousing and cooling infrastructure, increasing production capacity at the cheese making plant by 30%, the company said. Construction on the Hilbert facility already has begun and is scheduled to be completed in February 2021.

“The capacity and flexibility enabled by this latest investment will allow us to deliver the scale and breadth of product portfolio required to maintain our position as the leading partner in our customers’ ambitious growth plans,” said Rick Pedersen, president of Ornua Ingredients North America.

The division specializes in producing customized functional cheese products for food manufacturing and foodservice customers. Its functional cheese solutions have applications in meat, frozen meals, egg dishes, soups and sauces, bakery and pizza cheese categories. Along with its facility in Hilbert, it operates a second cheese making plant in Byron, Minn.