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March 12, 2025
Food and Agriculture Investment Program grant will expand production, create jobs for Leelanau Co. business
LANSING, Mich. — Today, the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development voted to approve a Food and Agriculture Investment Program (FAIP) grant to Cherry Republic, Inc. for $150,000.
These funds will be used as part of an over $2.8 million expansion project. This project aims to add 16,000 square feet of dry and cold storage to Cherry Republic s 20,000 square foot fulfillment and distribution center. The grant will also allow the company to add new loading docks, risk mitigation infrastructure via a solar power array and modernize equipment at the facility.
Adding dry and cold storage space will allow Cherry Republic the ability to buy and store more cherries during bumper crop years, explore new value-added product lines, and investigate new revenue streams for cherry farmers. Consolidating storage and distribution into one facility will also streamline the supply chain and enhance product delivery speeds to buyers.
This expansion project will create 20 new jobs. With completion of the project, Cherry Republic will be able to purchase an additional one million pounds of cherries annually from growers.
"This project will focus on increasing economic prosperity within the cherry industry and allow Cherry Republic to venture into new value-added Michigan products," said MDARD Director Tim Boring. "Grant opportunities like the Food and Ag Investment Program support local communities, fosters economic opportunity for farmers, and creates jobs throughout the state, showing that Michigan is the place to be for food and agriculture."
Cherry Republic, Inc. was founded in 1989 and has grown to employ more than 500 full- and part-time employees across its six retail locations and its fulfillment and distribution center. The organization uses Michigan's Montmorency Tart Cherry for more than 200 cherry-based products including chocolate-covered cherries, BBQ sauces, jams, jellies, salsas, ice cream toppings, nut mixes, baked goods, soda, cherry wine and beer, and condiments. Cherry Republic s fulfillment and distribution center brings over 3 million pounds per year of Michigan-grown Montmorency cherries to customers all over the globe.
We are so excited for this opportunity to streamline our processes and greatly improve the flow of our operations with this expansion project, said Roni Hazelton, Senior Vice President of Fulfillment for Cherry Republic, Inc. This addition will not only support our current needs, but it will also strengthen the foundation for future growth and continued support of our farmers so that we can continue our focus of delivering a great cherry experience to our customers.
FAIP plays a crucial role in Michigan's economic development. It is specifically designed to provide financial support for projects that expand food and agriculture processing, fostering growth in the industry and bolstering Michigan s economy. The selection of projects is based on their potential to impact the overall agriculture industry as well as food and agriculture growth and investment in the state.
For more information about MDARD grants, visit www.Michigan.gov/MDARDGrants.
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