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Gov. Greg Abbott joins Abilene council meeting to announce Great Lakes Cheese Co. moving into the Big Country, bringing 500 jobs

Gov. Greg Abbott joined the Abilene City Council meeting to make the announcement.

ABILENE, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott virtually joined the Abilene City Council meeting Friday morning to make an announcement about a new company moving into the Big Country. 

"One thing the State of Texas has been both heavily-involved in and successful in is economic development," Abbott said, before making the announcement. "Even this past year, the year of COVID, Texas has ranked No. 1 in the United States for the most economic development. We're so proud of the way that Abilene leaders worked collaboratively with the state to make sure we are going to succeed in bringing to the State of Texas Great Lakes Cheese Company," Abbott said.

Great Lakes Cheese is a manufacturer and packager of natural and processed bulk, shredded, and sliced cheeses.

The company is moving a new packaging and distribution facility to Abilene with an initial $185 million capital investment. It will also bring 500 new jobs into the Big Country, according to the governor.

"I am thrilled to welcome Great Lakes to Abilene. Their reputation matches perfectly to Big Country’s culture of hard work, integrity, and family values. Texas again welcomes companies with open arms to our pro-business communities and I look forward to working with Great Lakes for years to come. I am grateful to the Governor’s office, the City of Abilene, and all the stakeholders who made this project come to fruition," Sen. Dawn Buckingham said.

Abbott said this one of the biggest economic developments in Abilene in decades and the project was helped both by the State of Texas and the Texas Enterprise Fund. 

Great Lakes is a family-owned business and runs exactly the Texas-style of doing business, Abbott added. 

“This is the biggest opportunity recruited to the city of Abilene in the last 30 years and is the perfect example of what strategic economic development should be. This successful partnership with Great Lakes Cheese will benefit Abilene and the state of Texas by generating opportunities for decades to come,” Abilene Mayor Anthony Williams said in the press conference.

Abbott said he will live up to the promise of attending the business' ribbon-cutting and wear a cheese head. 

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