Grande Cheese Begins Construction Soon Of New Headquarters In FDL

Within the next few weeks, Grande Cheese Company will begin construction of the company’s new home office and research center, to be located on 40 acres of land in Fond du Lac, WI. The corporate campus, which will be developed in three phases, is located immediately west of the Fond du Lac Surgery Center on Camelot Drive.

“We announced our acquisition of the land three years ago,” explained Wayne Matzke, President and CEO of Grande. “We’ve decided now is the time to move forward with development. It will facilitate growth and innovation by providing a unique and creative space for the art and science of manufacturing world class dairy products.”

A hallmark of the new campus will be the natural integration of the buildings into the landscape in a way that most fully takes advantage of the land, with a central courtyard that connects all phases of development.  Grande will seek LEED Gold Environmental Certification for the facility.

Phase one of the development includes an 87,000 sq. ft. home office and research center, which will be complete in the first quarter of 2016. Also, as part of phase one, an orchard will be established on site.  “We envision the orchard eventually becoming an area where people will gather for work, to socialize and to enjoy the outdoors,” said Matzke. “It is symbolic of our heritage and strong ties to agriculture.”

Future phases will include a manufacturing research pilot plant and a comprehensive landscaping plan featuring an expanded orchard and vineyards, vegetable gardens and a greenhouse. “This will be more than an ordinary office building campus,” stated Matzke. “It will be an inviting place for our associates, producers and customers alike. It’s an exciting time for our company.”

The new facility will replace Grande’s current home office in Lomira, WI. It is anticipated that the approximately 175 associates who work at the firm’s Lomira office will transfer to the new facility. 

“We truly appreciate our longstanding relationship with Lomira,” stated Matzke. “It will always be a part of us and a part of our history. The time has come for us to write a new chapter in that history.”

General contractor for the project will be CD Smith from Fond du Lac; the principal design architect is Overland Partners from San Antonio, TX; the interior architect is Gensler from Dallas, TX and the landscape architect is Olin from Philadelphia, PA.