DeLong announces $687,500 expansion
Photo 
CLINTON — A business expansion in Clinton means more room for corn, more room for soybeans and significantly less room in the village industrial park.
This week, Clinton officials announced that The DeLong Co. will buy 59.5 acres in the industrial park for $687,500.
The land will be used for streamlining and expanding plant operations, said David DeLong, company president.
"We're basically adding some additional capacity that will alleviate some of the bottlenecks in the fall season," DeLong said.
DeLong's is one of the nation's largest exporters of food grains and is a major player in the domestic market. The company also provides information, products and services to the farming community.
The first phase of the expansion will include storage facilities for soybeans. That will allow the current soybean storage area to be used for drying and storing corn, DeLong explained.
Bo DeLong, manager of the grains division, said the second part of the expansion will include the development of a soybean cleaning and processing facility.
It's uncertain how many new jobs will be created by the new facility.
Building will begin almost immediately, and the company hopes to have the first phase finished in time for the fall harvest season.
The purchase will mean that the village's industrial park is almost full, said Mary Jensen, village board president.
"We're saving a five-acre parcel in case we need to expand our water treatment plant," Jensen said. "There are some privately owned parcels for sale, and the village owns a few smaller spots."
The original industrial park was 91.4 acres.
The village board and the company agreed to expedite the project to meet a May 15 closing date, according to a news release from the village.
The property will need to be rezoned to heavy industrial and the height limits in the area in question will be increased.
"It's the storage bins that are driving that," said Jennifer Sheiffer, interim village administrator. "We have a 90-foot maximum height. We wanted the company to be able to do business without having to worry about coming in to get a variance."
The land the company occupies now is zoned heavy industrial, Sheiffer said.
Jensen said the village board was happy to make the accommodations for the company that has been in the community for more than 100 years.
The land is part of a tax increment financing district established in 1998. A TIF district is a financing tool that allows municipalities to acquire property and make improvements and charge the cost to the district. The municipality then offers sites at discounted rates to encourage development. As the district's property values rise because of the new investment, the increase in taxes is used to refund the village's costs.
As of Jan. 1, 2011, the village's TIF district had resulted in a $14.68 million increase in equalized value, according to a news release from the village.
Mar 30, 2012 at 1:46 p.m.
Suggest removal
Here's the '95-'10 subsidy list for zip 53546 top twenty (379 total)
1 Metcalf Farms Janesville, WI 53546 $ 3,553,375.77
2 Mullikin Farms Partnership Janesville, WI 53546 $ 1,730,326.92
3 Arndt Farms Inc Janesville, WI 53546 $ 1,324,875.95
4 Venable Farms Inc Janesville, WI 53546 $ 1,196,707.68
5 Steven J Voda Janesville, WI 53546 $ 1,183,926.41
6 Whilden R Hughes Janesville, WI 53546 $ 1,060,678.20
7 Michael R Henning Janesville, WI 53546 $ 1,031,161.99
8 Judith A Hughes Janesville, WI 53546 $ 1,024,720.11
9 Lora L Henning Janesville, WI 53546 $ 1,011,708.47
10 Jacqueline F Mcnall Janesville, WI 53546 $ 861,992.89
11 Metcalf Farms Partnership II Janesville, WI 53546 $ 850,757.20
12 William R Mcnall Janesville, WI 53546 $ 849,770.00
13 Tracy & Son Farms Inc Janesville, WI 53546 $ 806,915.78
14 Hughes Farm Sales Janesville, WI 53546 $ 738,715.10
15 Gerald J Frei Janesville, WI 53546 $ 719,596.33
16 Ed Leach Farms Inc Janesville, WI 53546 $ 680,435.62
17 Jeffrey D Waller Janesville, WI 53546 $ 678,759.76
18 3 K O LLC Janesville, WI 53546 $ 645,035.06
19 Gary R Kraus Janesville, WI 53546 $ 635,914.55
20 3-b Farms LLC Janesville, WI 53546 $ 592,172.63
http://farm.ewg.org/
Mar 30, 2012 at 1:01 p.m.
Suggest removal
minihow. no, this is local, its the economy and history of clinton. NOW, many months of job declines in WI, while the other 49 states have job increases, now that may be an issue to discuss.
Mar 30, 2012 at 12:54 p.m.
Suggest removal
yes, there are still direct paymemts. ALSO loan payments(large amts) those need to be repaid when crop is sold. but farmers are no longer paid for low prices like they were in the 70's-90's. as for corn syurp vs cane suger, to me, a far greater issue is that soda has gone from a treat to a constant consumption with 'energy' drinks leading the way. activity has crashed to become no more than thumb clicks all nite on the XBOX...to many carbs no matter where they come from have to go somewhere. no activity just snowballs issue. either way walker is not responcible for delong expansion in clinton.
Mar 30, 2012 at 12:52 p.m.
Suggest removal
Funny, if DeLong would have announced that they were closing or down sizing then it would have been Walkers fault...
Mar 30, 2012 at 12:10 p.m.
Suggest removal
werpknarly - now the facts. Princeton researchers find that high-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain. HFCS isn't a normal sugar, it's a laboratory chemically altered compound, not found in nature. http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archi...
Mar 30, 2012 at 12:06 p.m.
Suggest removal
werpknarly - now the facts. Direct payments are made to farmers each year regardless of commodity prices. 2010 corn bushel price was over $5, yet Wisconsin farmers (many millionaire farmers) received over $121M in taxpayer subsidies. http://farm.ewg.org/subsidyprimer.php
Mar 30, 2012 at 11:47 a.m.
Suggest removal
This should silence the Gov. Walker critics for a while.
Mar 30, 2012 at 11:43 a.m.
Suggest removal
Thank You Governor Walker! Wisconsin companies continue to expand right here in Wisconsin (instead of expanding into other states) thanks to Wisconsin's business-friendly climate - we are truely 'open for business'.
Mar 30, 2012 at 11:21 a.m.
Suggest removal
Take biology 101, body takes all sugar and starches and turns into glucose. What's needed is used. Rest the liver turns to fat for storage.
Mar 30, 2012 at 11:19 a.m.
Suggest removal
Corn n bean subsidies are ONLy paid when prices are low. Ethanol blender credit, that went to oil companies to blend, ended Dec 31st 2011
Mar 30, 2012 at 11:02 a.m.
Suggest removal
Good for DeLong, but if Walker did anything for the state's economy, it was pushing it into free-fall.
http://midcoastviews.blogspot.com/2012/0...
Mar 30, 2012 at 9:15 a.m.
Suggest removal
More space so we can pay more taxes for subsidized corn and soybeans that is turned into obesity causing high fructose corn syrup. Great !
Mar 30, 2012 at 8:39 a.m.
Suggest removal
Well, it's BEAN fun, but the whole thing sounds corny to me !
Mar 30, 2012 at 7:11 a.m.
Suggest removal
Mcdaddy is suggesting by is comment, this is a result of walker being gov.... I'm stating facts that suggest not.
Mar 30, 2012 at 7:08 a.m.
Suggest removal
Grain commodity prices are at record highs. Corn n soybean puroduction is at record levels, delong's has had storage issues for years. In the past Clinton has closed streets so delongs could fill it with mountains of grain. The past two years evansville coop has filled the stoughton trailers parking lot with mountains grains. As production increases, so do storage needs. A grain company larger than delongs has bought and is expanding elevator in avalon. With ethanol production, more grain is being imported into wi, more byproducts, shipped by delongs to Asia are being exported. Again, s wi is in perfect place to take advantage of empty containers returning to Asia. Years ago, delongs bought a rail terminal in IL to fill those containers. Generations ago they started repackaging oil in Clinton. Not all is political.
Mar 30, 2012 at 4:02 a.m.
Suggest removal
Yes, walker controls the world wide grain market and blessed s. wi with great soils... Walked also placed Clinton near Chicago R.R. terminals which ship 10's of thousands of empty freight containers back to s.e. Asia. Good thing he had the delong family base their family business there several generations ago too.....
Mar 29, 2012 at 10:28 p.m.
Suggest removal
Thank you governor walker for keeping Wisconsin open for business. And creating an environment where businesses are willing to expand and invest in the future.
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.