Kwik Trip plans to invest more than $151 million to expand its operations at multiple locations in Wisconsin, according to a release from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC).
The investment would encompass further expansion of its dairy, commissary and bakery facilities in La Crosse as well as the purchase and renovation of a commercial office building in Onalaska and the construction of a new satellite distribution center.
“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.”
Through the investment, Kwik Trip will create more than 500 jobs by 2027. The convenience retailer will now qualify to earn an additional $15 million in performance-based Enterprise Zone tax incentives from the WEDC. This marks the third time that the state has invested in Kwik Trip’s growth in Wisconsin, raising the company’s eligibility for tax credits to $41 million total.
Since the state and Kwik Trip entered into the Enterprise Zone agreement in 2017 as a part of Kwik Trip’s expansion plans, the company has invested more than $325 million into its Wisconsin support center operations, created nearly 1,800 full-time jobs and grown and fostered mutually beneficial relationships with numerous Wisconsin supply chain partners.
So far, the company has spent more than $325 million in capital investment and created 1,793 new jobs to earn tax credits at its non-retail locations, well above what was anticipated at this point in the project, the WEDC said. Since the company is exceeding the goals of its Enterprise Zone, the WEDC board voted to amend Kwik Trip’s contract to make it eligible for the additional $15 million in tax credits.
“Growth is good, not only for Kwik Trip, but most importantly for our coworkers and the communities we serve,” said Scott Zietlow, the CEO and president of Kwik Trip. “As a (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel named) Top Workplace, we are able to provide strong, vibrant jobs throughout Wisconsin. We appreciate the support from the WEDC to make this happen.”
Kwik Trip announced last month that all new Kwik Trip locations have been or will be equipped with two self-checkout stations. This includes stores that have been built as recently as the last six months, as well as the 25-30 stores that are currently under construction and expected to be completed by the end of 2024.