The cheese maker is in the process of getting a permit to construct an administrative building. The manufacturer says one of every five and a half pounds of cheddar, monterey and pepper jack cheeses people eat in the country is churned out at the company.
Economic experts say they're hopeful other manufacturers will set up shop in the area. David Spaur with the Merced County Economic Development Corporation said, "We've been hit hard with plant closures and layoffs and downsizing so to have somebody like Hilmar Cheese says I think we can create a couple of hundred jobs in the next couple of years is really, really big news for us."
A spokesperson for the company says those jobs won't be available until construction is complete and that is expected to be in two to three years.
