NAMPA -- The Lactalis American Group says it's getting ready to ramp up production and hire more people at its Nampa plant to keep up with the growing demand.
After the expansion is complete, the factory will be producing millions of more pounds of cheese each year.
The cheese manufacturer has seen a growing demand for fresh mozzarella. To keep up with that demand the Lactalis American Group is adding a new building and hiring around 70 new employees.
The company says it made sense to invest in the Nampa plant because it is in a top dairy state.
Nampa Mayor Tom Dale says the economic impact will go well beyond the city.
"They'll be increasing the delivery of milk to this, which is good for our dairy farmers in the Treasure Valley, as well as the Magic Valley," said Dale. "It's good for the machinery folks who sell the equipment to the dairy farmers. It's good for the feed folks who sell the feed. It just goes on and on and on."
No doubt about it, dairy farmers will get a big boost. Lactalis says it will need more than 100 million extra pounds of milk a year.
When production starts they will be making 31 million pounds of fresh mozzarella a year.
Construction on the new plant will start next month. There is a parking lot and some open space adjacent to the Nampa plant and that is where the new mozzarella factory will be built.
The fresh mozzarella will be sold under the name Galbani. Production will begin in the spring of 2013.
