A West Michigan company will use a large grant from the State of Michigan for the construction of a new apple cider production facility to replace one lost to fire last year.

The Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development is awarding grants to 11 food and agriculture projects in Michigan. The grants are designed to "protect and create local jobs in both large and small communities across the entire state.”

Riveridge Produce Marketing of Sparta, will receive a $100,000 performance-based grant for the construction of a new 36,000-square-foot apple cider production facility. The multi-million-dollar investment will include production, lab, office and meeting space at an existing site in Grant.

The new building will replace a facility that was lost to a fire last July and will allow the company to press and bottle cider in a variety of sizes and packages.

The project is expected to create 12 new jobs, with up to 20 new jobs created over the next few years.

More From 100.5 FM The River