FRANKLIN – A meat packing company is closing their plant in Franklin after years of trying and failing to move to both the City of Milwaukee and other sites in Franklin.
Strauss Brands submitted a notice to officials Thursday stating their plans to begin laying off 70 workers at the plant starting August 5th. The company announced Monday it plans to relocate grass-fed beef production to Ruprecht of Mundelein, Illinois.
“Along with the Eddy Foods partnership, this move represents a necessary step in growing our grass-fed beef product line,” said CEO of Strauss Brands Dave Wiggins. “The decision to relocate production to Ruprecht was made after a meticulous evaluation of various options, with a paramount focus on ensuring continued quality and seamless customer service.”
The company had previously sought to move to Milwaukee’s Century City business park before resident opposition cancelled the proposed 60 million dollar project following anti-slaughterhouse protests outside City Hall in 2019.
A planned move to a site on Loomis Road was pitched mutiple times before proposal was dropped in 2022 after residents filed a lawsuit forcing a public hearing.
Strauss Brands says it is committed to supporting and assisting all affected employees throughout the process of closing the Franklin plant.
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