The Norfolk, NE-based cooperative, which has two warehouses in Nebraska and Elwood, KS, held its groundbreaking recently for the new Wisconsin facility. The property should be complete by spring 2009, says a company spokeswoman. Rising transportation costs and other concerns made it impractical to try to serve the north Midwest region out of the existing centers, she says. "Logistically, when you look at the distance we had to serve our members in this region, it was something we needed to do, especially to accommodate any growth in these areas," she tells GlobeSt.com. She says she believes the cooperative will own the facility instead of leasing.

The company chose the business park, developed by Chicago-based First Industrial Realty Trust, because of its high-profile location, said company officials. "(Kenosha) has great population growth, a strong business climate and convenient location along the I-94 corridor from Milwaukee to Chicago," said the cooperative chairman Marc King in a statement.

The firm will receive an $800,000 loan and a $400,000 grant from the Department of Commerce for capital investment and training at the new facility. In return, the cooperative has promised to create 450 jobs at the center. "Affiliated Foods represents the future of small business – connecting business owners to share resources and tools to compete with large retailers," said Gov. Jim Doyle in a separate statement.

In November, Rust-Oleum signed an agreement at the park to lease a new 600,000-sf distribution building here from First Industrial. The park is made up of 70 acres at 88th Avenue and State Route 158, near Interstate 94.