BELMONT, Wis. (WFRV) – A cheese manufacturing plant in southwestern Wisconsin will soon close its doors permanently, and the company announced that nearly 200 employees will be affected.

According to a letter sent from Saputo to the Department of Workforce Development, the Belmont cheese manufacturing plant will stop operations and close in mid-January 2024. Back on August 3, 2022, the company publicly announced the intended closure of the plant in Belmont.

The company says that details of both retention pay/bonuses and severance pay were given in the weeks right after the announcement on a one-on-one basis. All employees are aware of the terms of their employment ending and are being compensated ‘above and beyond their standard and/or hourly pay rates’, according to Saputo Cheese USA Inc.

The letter says that 187 employees are affected and the expected date of the first layoff is on November 11. It is also mentioned that the plant will be permanently closed.

The company reportedly intends to transition production from both its Belmont and Lancaster facilities to the Reedsburg facility.

Belmont is in Lafayette County Wisconsin which is the southwestern part of the state.

No additional information was provided.