TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) announced in June that 38 meat processors will receive grants through the 2024 Meat Processor Infrastructure Grant Program. Of the 70 applications received, requesting a total of $3 million for projects, Geiss Meat Service in Merrill was one of the 38 to receive funding. The grants awarded this year totaled $1.8 million, and each recipient’s request could not exceed $50,000.
“Grant recipients were selected through a competitive review process and are required to provide a match of 100 percent of the grant amountamount,” a DATCP release said.
Andy Geiss, owner of Geiss Meat Service, said they’ve now received grants from the program two years in a row. “In 2023 the award was for $150,000 and in 2024 the award was $50,000,” he said. “In each year this was the maximum award amount.”
“Geiss Meat Service is using the grant awards to upgrade our electrical system, opened a new retail store, and added several additional coolers and freezers,” Andy said. “In addition, we will be purchasing a meat grinder-mixer combination unit to increase our capacity and efficiency of processing ground meat, a metal detector to detect both ferrous and nonferrous metals to protect our customers, and adding a meat aging cooler to meet the demands of our customers for aged meats and specialty items such as pepperoni, salamis, etc.”
“With these grants, Geiss Meat Service added five additional employees, increased our retail sales by over 35%, and increased overall production by approximately 25%,” he said. “We have been honored to have received these grants back-to-back years. The grants have allowed us to grow, expand, and increase our efficiency in the meat industry.”
The goal of the program, in its third year, is “to grow Wisconsin’s meat industry and improve the long-term viability of the state’s livestock industry,” a press release from the DATCP said.
The Meat Processor Infrastructure Grant Program is available through the 2023-25 biennial state budget. As part of the biennial budget, an additional $200,000 in grants will be available in 2025, a release from the DATCP said.