Bongards' Creameries Breaks Ground on $135M Expansion

The process cheese plant expansion in Bongards, Minnesota, is expected to add 180 million pounds of annual production capacity.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Agriculture

Photograph of a graded dirt construction pad beside a low stainless-steel dairy plant and a tall silo under a clear autumn sky across flat farmland. — Bongards' Creameries broke ground Oct. 21 on a $135 million process cheese plant expansion in Bongards, Minnesota, adding 180 million pounds of annual capacity. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Bongards' Creameries broke ground on a $135 million process cheese plant expansion in Bongards, Minnesota, on Oct. 21. The project is expected to increase production capacity by 180 million pounds annually to support growing domestic and international demand.

Why it matters

The expansion aims to keep pace with rising global processed cheese consumption and growth in whey production and sales. Board chairman Brent Ziegler said the investments add value to raw milk, which he said adds stability for dairy farmers across the state.

Milk intake at the Perham plant rose from about 4.5 million pounds per day to 6 million pounds per day, following roughly $200 million in investment over recent years. The expansion adds 120,000 square feet, including 50,000 square feet of production space and a 70,000-square-foot automated warehouse.

The players

Bongards' Creameries

A dairy cooperative founded in 1908 that operates cheese production plants in Minnesota and Tennessee.

Brent Ziegler

The board chairman of Bongards' Creameries who said the investments add value to raw milk and stability for dairy farmers.

The details

Milk from across the region is delivered to the Perham plant, where cheese is made and shipped for further processing in Bongards or Humboldt, Tennessee. The company's cooperative was founded in 1908 and recently completed a major expansion at its Humboldt plant.

Bongards' Creameries cooperative was founded in 1908.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held on Oct. 21, 2026.
Groundbreaking work is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Commercial operations are expected to commence by early 2028.

Market Landscape

The expansion positions Bongards' Creameries to meet rising demand for processed cheese and whey, two product streams whose global consumption has grown in recent years. By adding capacity in Minnesota, the cooperative strengthens its ability to supply both domestic and international buyers.

The expansion is designed to add value to raw milk delivered by regional dairy farmers, which the company says adds stability to their operations. Shoppers may see the effects only indirectly through the processed cheese supply chain.

The takeaway

Investments in processing capacity can strengthen the value of raw milk for the farmers who supply it. For readers in Minnesota's dairy sector, the expansion's 2028 timeline marks when added capacity is expected to come online.

What happens next

Groundbreaking work on the expansion is expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2026, with commercial operations expected to commence by early 2028.