GREEN COVE SPRINGS – A Michigan-based concrete manufacturer and supplier is setting up shop at a portion of the former Gustafson’s Dairy Farm.

Truemont Materials is based in Charlevoix, Michigan, near Lake Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. They are following a bevy of new businesses and residential developments sprouting near the First Coast Expressway, which will fully connect I-10 to I-95 by 2030, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

The company, which is in the portfolio of Aster Brands, makes precast concrete for backyard living spaces, foundations and commercial retaining walls. The Manthei Group owns 14 companies including Aster Brands.

General Manager Andy Manthei said the new operation will continually be invested in and will benefit the area and that the company has a history of restoring dilapidated facilities for its manufacturing needs.

"This particular property fit the bill," he said.

Truemont will participate in Northeast Florida’s rapid growth. The company offers several options for decorating a person’s home. Florida is summertime year-round, Manthei said.

“There’s incredible growth down here,” he said. “The area is gorgeous.”

The COVID-19 pandemic made homeowners focus on the infrastructure and the aesthetics of their home, Manthei said.

“People want to work on their backyards and their fire pits,” Manthei said. “It’s harder and harder to leave and get around.”

Manthei said that Truemont works with a contractor’s designs on projects and supplies them with precast pieces. The plant has steel forms that concrete is poured into.

“It can be a hard thing to do onsite,” Manthei said. “Now, they can just pick it up and put it down.”

Commissioner Kristen Burke’s district encompasses Truemont’s location and she applauded the company taking over an older, property with name recognition like Gustafson’s. She said the county was thrilled with the company’s arrival and called it a win for residents, with 30 jobs added for now.

“Having local suppliers right in the center of the major development is a huge benefit for everyone, particularly with high logistic costs,” Burke said. “Beyond the necessity of their products, the company is part of a large multi-generational diversified portfolio of successful businesses. We know that they will be a great corporate citizen and employer for our community offering competitive wage jobs with good benefits.”

Clay County EDC Senior Vice President Laura Pavlus noted the significance of Aster Brands, and said the area is grateful for Truemont’s arrival.

“ ... We look forward to supporting their growth and expansion in our community,” she said.

Manthei added that the company has high hopes for the facility. In the next 10 years, Manthei hopes to expand on the 24-acre property, even the 88,000-square-foot old dairy facility could be gutted.

The reach of the family-owned and operated supplier is far, he said.

“You can go to Dubai and find our products, we are in North America and Europe,” Manthei said. “We have been looking for years for a precast-concrete facility in Texas, California, Ohio. Essentially, we came down here because it aligns with our values and culture. And it felt like home.”