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City gets first look at Amlat factory design
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MONROE - City of Monroe Plan Commission got its first look at designs for the Amlat infant formula powder processing facility Wednesday, with groundbreaking scheduled for Nov. 25.

The facility is expected to go online in the fall of 2015 and employ as many as 200 people.

The new production company, Amlat LLC, is being created by Dong Han of Beijing, China, on 20 acres in the city's north industrial park.

The footprint of the new facility is 48,450 square feet, with a four-story dryer tower adding another 10,500 square feet on the three additional levels.

The Plan Commission gave only preliminary consent to proceed on the engineering drafts, produced by Lyle Leverentz of Power Engineers, Middleton. The company will return in mid-November with more details, which will allow the commission to make its recommendation to the council.

The city was chosen as the site of the company's new $20 million infant formula production company, Wonder Milk, which later changed its name to Amlat and received council approval June 17, 2013. The Common Council passed a resolution and an accompanying purchase and development agreement, which had a closing date of on or before June 28, 2013.

The site was sold for $447,000 in cash. The development is to achieve and maintain a minimum fair market value of $1 million in 2015 and of $2.1 million by 2016. Non-performance penalties are included in the agreement.

The council approval had also given Mayor Bill Ross, City Administrator Phil Rath and City Attorney Rex Ewald authority to make changes to the agreement.

Their changes to the agreement in July 2013 extended the allowable start date for construction from one year to two years and the completion of construction from 24 months to 33 months. The agreement was also amended to give the Han, as the purchaser, the ability to rescind the agreement if she were unable to "process an EB-5 application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for 20 immigrant visas" for individuals seeking permanent resident status with a capital investment in Amlat.

Pam Christopher, director of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce, whom the city gave oversight of the development by the new company, spent about 10 days in April in China, at the request and expense of Han, to speak to investors about the Amlat project. Madison Region Economic Partners President Paul Jadin joined her. About 100 people attended those investor meetings, Christopher said.