Glanbia Nutritionals Lands in St. Johns 

LEAP led site selection for the region across a multi-year, multi-partner effort: 

• Site Selection Leadership (2015): LEAP's Keith Lambert led site selection beginning in Spring 2015, when lead consultant Baker Tilly first engaged the MEDC on behalf of the project.
• Renewed Urgency (Nov. 2017): After early fits and starts while the joint-venture partners worked out their structure, LEAP was reengaged by Cushman & Wakefield with fresh momentum. LEAP led a market visit and site tours across two Lansing-region locations, and arranged a dinner with Glanbia's COO and project team to sell the region directly.
• Deep Due Diligence (Jan. 2018): Glanbia chose to pursue real estate in St. Johns. LEAP led a half-day due-diligence session on infrastructure, utilities, and incentives, hosted at AgroLiquid's headquarters.
• Deal Structuring Under Competition (March–April 2018): LEAP, the City of St. Johns, and the project team built the deal's framework while a competing Bay County site — and an out-of-state option — were evaluated in parallel. St. Johns was selected as the top location in late April.
• Incentives Aligned Fast (June–Aug. 2018): The City of St. Johns, Bingham Township, and Clinton County unanimously approved a PA198 IFT exemption and an Agricultural Processing Renaissance Zone, clearing the way for state MSF approvals in August. LEAP also advocated for converting the offered CDBG award into a Business Development Program grant, avoiding delays to construction.
• Groundbreaking (Sept. 17, 2018): Construction began following a finalized development agreement and property sale with the City of St. Johns.

MWC — a joint venture between Glanbia Nutritionals, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), and Select Milk Producers — invested $470 million to build the facility, which opened in fall 2020 and now processes 8 million pounds of milk a day, roughly a quarter of all milk produced in Michigan. Glanbia is Ireland's 5th-largest company and the world's #1 producer of both American-style cheddar cheese and advanced-technology whey protein for the nutrition sector. The project didn't stop there: Iowa-based Proliant Dairy Ingredients built an adjacent facility — connected to MWC by pipe bridge — to process the dairy solids byproduct into whey permeate for baking, confectionery, drink mixes, and animal feed. It is the largest whey permeate drying facility of its kind in the world. Together, the $555 million project stabilized Michigan's entire dairy industry and created more than 300 good jobs in St. Johns.