Dive Brief:
- Kwik Trip plans to spend $151 million to expand its dairy, commissary and bakery facilities in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where the company is headquartered, according to a press release from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
- In addition, the company plans to buy and remodel an office building in Onalaska and build a new distribution center for its growing network of stores.
- The investment is expected to create 500 new jobs in the state by 2027 and also qualified the convenience retailer for $15 million in performance-based tax incentives. The company’s total eligibility for tax credits now stands at $41 million.
Dive Insight:
This is the third time Wisconsin has financially rewarded Kwik Trip for its continuing investment in the state since the two entered into an Enterprise Zone agreement in 2017. The agreement awards tax credits for eligible job creation, job retention, capital investment, employee training and supply chain purchases from Wisconsin vendors, according to WEDC’s site.
Since the agreement was put in place, Kwik Trip has created almost 1,800 jobs, invested $325 million into state operations and grown its relationships with several Wisconsin-based suppliers. That pace is “well above what was anticipated at this point in the project,” according to the press release.
“Kwik Trip is one of Wisconsin’s most instantly recognizable success stories,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of WEDC. “While most of us are familiar with Kwik Trip for its retail operations, the company continues to grow its manufacturing and supply chain base in our state, which is creating hundreds of jobs and new investments even faster than anyone could have anticipated.”
As Kwik Trip exceeds the goals it set with the state, its eligibility for tax credits has been repeatedly raised. The actual amount of tax credits it gets are based on the final number of jobs created and the amount of money it invests.
In addition to these investments in its production infrastructure, Kwik Trip has also prioritized tech investments inside its stores, including adding self checkouts to all of its new builds. The chain was recently named in the top 20 of a ranking from Forbes and consumer insights company HundredX for outstanding customer service.
Kwik Trip is one of the largest c-store operators in the U.S. with over 800 locations in its network, including 506 sites in Wisconsin.
