Wenneman Meat Company to rebuild in St. Libory
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Wenneman Meat Company has announced it will stay in St. Libory, Illinois. The new facility is projected to cost $5 million dollars and will locate adjacent to the previous site on Illinois Route 15 in St. Libory. The former facility burned to the ground on January 27, 2011. With 12 fire departments responding to the blaze it was still a total loss.
Designed by Mike Schneider of Quadrant Design from Waterloo, Il., the new specially designed 22,000 square foot processing facility will house a largely expanded retail area, a slaughter floor, processing area and office space. The new design will provide for the most efficient and cost effective methods in the industry.
Lake Contracting of Addieville, IL will be the general contractor for the project. Owner Dave Lake and project manager Mark Albert have been working feverously on this design/ build project.
It is expected that ground will be broke by the second week of April with a completion date in October. Wenneman Meat Co. expects to employee 40 full time employees.
Keith Moran of Moran Economic Development has assisted Mayor Phyllis Behrman and the Village of St. Libory to develop a TIF district to provide economic incentives for the project. TIF District incentives were essential in Wenneman's staying in the Village as other communities had attempted to recruit the popular meat company.
Wenneman Market was founded in 1927 when John Wenneman bought the business from George Wessel.
Mr. Wenneman operated the one person meat shop and toured the local area around St. Libory, cutting and selling meat from a Model T truck. In 1974, after working with their father for many years, John's sons, Bob and Jim, purchased the business.
In 2004, Brad Schmitz, Bob and Jim's nephew, and Paul Otten, both employees of the firm, purchased the market. Brad and Paul are carrying on the family tradition providing quality meat, smoked hams and bacon, homemade sausages and meat processing with the knowledge and experience accumulated for over three quarters of a century at the same location.