BLAIR, Wis. (WFRV) — A cheese plant in Wisconsin will temporarily lay off nearly 100 workers as it transitions into a cottage cheese production facility.
According to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) letter submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) plans to transition its Blair plant from cheddar cheese production to cottage cheese manufacturing.
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Once the project is complete — expected in the latter part of 2026 — the Blair facility will become one of the largest cottage cheese plants in the United States.
As part of the transition, AMPI will implement a temporary mass layoff effective March 31, 2026, impacting 86 employees.
“We anticipate this temporary mass layoff will last until the transition project is complete and the Blair Plant is ready to resume regular operations in early 2027,” the company stated in the letter.
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AMPI noted that affected employees will not have bumping rights. However, workers covered under the collective bargaining agreement between AMPI and Teamsters General Union Local 662 will have layoff and recall rights as outlined in that agreement. Most of the affected positions are held by employees represented by the union.
This marks the seventh WARN notice filed in Wisconsin so far in January 2026.
