Contacts: Laura Smith, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162
Don Uelmen, Department of Transportation, 608-266-3488
Project to Help Create and Retain 285 Jobs
MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle announced that a $385,850 Transportation Economic Assistance (TEA) grant has been awarded to the city of Cumberland in Barron County. The award provides the state’s contribution toward helping support the efforts of Sun Power Biodiesel to directly and indirectly create and retain 285 jobs in the community.
“Investing in quality transportation is vital for businesses that are looking to expand in Wisconsin,” Governor Doyle said. “By providing these funds, we are keeping quality jobs here in Wisconsin while improving road access to Sun Power Biodiesel’s operations in Cumberland.”
The $385,850 grant covers 50 percent of the cost of designing and constructing a new 1,300-foot long municipal street, Sorenson Street. The street will improve access to Sun Power Biodiesel’s new facilities in Cumberland. The city of Cumberland is contributing $385,850 to meet the local matching fund requirements of the program. The transportation improvement project has a total cost of $771,700. It’s the fourth TEA grant awarded to Cumberland since the program began in 1987.
Sun Power Biodiesel is investing $6.1 million to expand its biodiesel plant. Sun Power Biodiesel operates as a subsidiary of Ardisam, Inc., which was established in 1960. The corporation entered into the biodiesel market in 2005 and intends to have a production capacity of five million gallons per year. The facility will include a canola seed crushing plant and a production plant that will produce premium cold-flow biodiesel fuel for all types of vehicles that currently use petroleum-based diesel. As a result of this investment, nearly $16 million in annual wages will remain in Wisconsin.
Since it was created in 1987, the TEA grant program has invested more than $81.5 million in 301 projects benefiting 327 businesses and creating 70,932 jobs in Wisconsin.
