Great Lakes Cheese

Great Lakes Cheese Co. makes a variety of cheese products in plants across the United States and employs more than 1,000 people. It makes bulk cheese, private label products and a variety of other food service items. Each year the Ohio-based company manufactures about 165 million pounds of cheese

In order to facilitate growth, the company opened a $20 million facility south of Salt Lake City in August of 2001. Packaging chunks, shreds and natural slices, this plant is also a major distribution facility that greatly expands service capabilities to Western U.S. markets.

In 2005, the company expanded and updated its Fillmore facilities with two $6 million tilt-up concrete additions, associated site work and minor interior upgrades/renovations of the existing refrigerated facility. The additions were 27,000 sq. ft. and 50,000 sq. ft., respectively. The buildings are insulated concrete tilt-up sandwich panels.

The expansion project required maintaining existing refrigerated temperatures within the structure during the construction process, while preserving stringent FDA standards for manufacturing food products. Maintaining the quality and consistent supply of concrete to Fillmore was another challenging project aspect.