Cherry Republic, Inc., one of Michigan’s largest cherry retailers, is set to grow even larger, with plans to nearly double its footprint in Empire.
The Glen Arbor-based company has received a $150,000 state grant to expand its fulfillment and distribution center in the Leelanau County village of Empire. It’s expected the expansion will create 20 jobs and increase storage capacity.
It also means the ubiquitous Up North company will purchase an additional one million pounds of Michigan cherries.
"We are so excited for this opportunity to streamline our processes and greatly improve the flow of our operations with this expansion project," says Roni Hazelton, senior vice president of fulfillment for Cherry Republic, Inc.
What’s happening: The Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development has awarded a $150,000 grant to Cherry Republic, Inc. for an expansion project at its Empire facility. The company is planning a $2.8 million expansion that will add 16,000 square feet of dry and cold storage to its 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 facility equipment.
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Cherry Republic, Inc.Expansion has begun at the Cherry Republic facility in Empire.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. The company broke ground on the project in late 2024; completion is scheduled in August of this year.
“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,” Hazelton says.
Why it’s important: "This project will focus on increasing economic prosperity within the cherry industry and allow Cherry Republic to venture into new value-added Michigan products," says Tim Boring, who is director of the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development. "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."
About Cherry Republic:
Cherry Republic was founded in Glen Arbor in 1989, where it has built a destination campus complete with a cherry-themed winery, pub and restaurant, retail, and more. The company carries more than 200 products made with Michigan cherries, including chocolate-covered cherries, BBQ sauces, jams, jellies, salsas, ice cream toppings, nut mixes, baked goods, soda, cherry wine and beer, and condiments. The company has six retail locations throughout the state, including in Ann Arbor, Traverse City, Charlevoix, and Holland.
Michigan made: Cherry Republic uses more than 3 million pounds of Michigan-grown Montmorency cherries in its products annually, shipping its products internationally from its Empire fulfillment and distribution center. The Empire campus also includes its Cherry Factory, where more than the 200 various cherry products are produced. The company employs more than 500 full- and part-time workers throughout the state. Michigan is the number one producer of tart cherries in the United States (65 percent of total production in the country), most of them are grown in the Traverse City area. Traverse City remains nationally recognized as the Cherry Capital of the World.
About the grant: Cherry Republic was awarded a $150,000 Food and Agriculture Investment (FAIP) grant by the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development, thanks to its plans to create jobs, expand facilities and process more Michigan cherries. FAIP plays a crucial role in Michigan's economic development. The grant 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.
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