MONROE - The City of Monroe, Green County Development Corporation and Monroe Chamber of Commerce held the groundbreaking of a new business on the final 10 acres of the Honey Creek Industrial Park on Monday.
Eastland Feed and Grain broke ground on a multimillion-dollar facility, which will include a modern feed mill and elevator that runs primarily dairy feed with the capability to run more species.
The facility will employ four people on site with six to 10 more employees added in the company's transportation division as a result of the development. Once the mill is completed and running, Eastland hopes to further expand its operation in Monroe by adding a distribution warehouse and retail store. The location will provide Eastland increased capacity and better geographic access to its markets, in particular its dairy market, which is centralized around the Monroe area. The location will decrease freight time to the farm, while providing more services to producers in the area.
Eastland Feed and Grain, based in Shannon, Illinois, started out as a small family-run feed mill in 1990 with four employees and one truck. The company has grown to serve the tri-state region of Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin with three additional locations in Savanna and Chadwick, Illinois, and Platteville. Eastland employs more than 40 full-time employees in their core business and has annual sales of $200 million.
Even through all of the growth Eastland has seen since 1990, Roger Coulthard, owner, is quick to note the continued family-run nature of the business that includes his wife, sons, sister, cousins and in-laws.
The recent Comprehensive Plan shows that Monroe is becoming a premier agriculture and dairy destination in the nation. The addition of Eastland Feed and Grain to the community continues to capitalize on the city's efforts to maximize this important industry cluster.
Eastland Feed and Grain broke ground on a multimillion-dollar facility, which will include a modern feed mill and elevator that runs primarily dairy feed with the capability to run more species.
The facility will employ four people on site with six to 10 more employees added in the company's transportation division as a result of the development. Once the mill is completed and running, Eastland hopes to further expand its operation in Monroe by adding a distribution warehouse and retail store. The location will provide Eastland increased capacity and better geographic access to its markets, in particular its dairy market, which is centralized around the Monroe area. The location will decrease freight time to the farm, while providing more services to producers in the area.
Eastland Feed and Grain, based in Shannon, Illinois, started out as a small family-run feed mill in 1990 with four employees and one truck. The company has grown to serve the tri-state region of Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin with three additional locations in Savanna and Chadwick, Illinois, and Platteville. Eastland employs more than 40 full-time employees in their core business and has annual sales of $200 million.
Even through all of the growth Eastland has seen since 1990, Roger Coulthard, owner, is quick to note the continued family-run nature of the business that includes his wife, sons, sister, cousins and in-laws.
The recent Comprehensive Plan shows that Monroe is becoming a premier agriculture and dairy destination in the nation. The addition of Eastland Feed and Grain to the community continues to capitalize on the city's efforts to maximize this important industry cluster.