Case Study: Meister Cheese achieves local growth and expansion funding with IMPLAN

How one family-owned and operated cheese producer in Wisconsin helped sustain their supply chain through a recession and create more business in the process

The customer, Meister Cheese, a family-owned Wisconsin cheese producer, and its sister company Muscoda Protein Products, faced significant challenges due to a declining domestic dairy market and the 2007 recession, which threatened their supply chain and local dairy farms. To fund a crucial facility expansion, they needed to secure capital and demonstrate the project's broader economic value. They worked with the vendor IMPLAN, utilizing its economic input-output modeling software and data through their partner Baker Tilly to perform the required economic impact analysis for a New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) application.

The solution involved using IMPLAN's modeling to quantify the project's impact, which was essential for securing a $4.9 million NMTC allocation. The results were substantial: the project sustained 112 jobs, stimulated an estimated $116.65 million in regional economic output in its first year of operation, and strengthened the local supply chain. This successful application of IMPLAN's analysis allowed the companies to expand, increase efficiency, and secure major new clients, ensuring their long-term viability and community impact.

Meister Cheese

Scott Meister

Co-owner and President