Yogurt and creamers manufacturer, Chobani, has invested a remarkable $1.2 billion into a new production facility, signifying its third manufacturing plant in the United States.
Strategically located in Rome, New York, this new plant will encompass 1.4 million square feet.
On April 22, Chobani officially announced the groundbreaking of the facility.
Once operational, the facility is projected to produce over one billion pounds of dairy products annually.
Moreover, the plant will feature up to 28 production lines, capable of processing approximately 12 million pounds of milk each day.
Notably, this facility is approximately 70 kilometers north of South Edmeston, New York, where Chobani established its first plant in 2005.
Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder and CEO, emphasized, “New York is where Chobani’s journey began. It was the perfect spot to start Chobani 20 years ago, and it is the perfect place to continue our story.”
The new plant is expected to create over 1,000 full-time jobs.
Additionally, New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s office highlighted that this $1.2 billion investment represents “the largest natural food manufacturing investment in American history.”
To support this development, New York’s economic development agency, Empire State Development, has pledged up to $73 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits to Chobani.
According to Hochul’s office, New York’s dairy industry, valued at $8 billion, stands as the largest sector within the state’s agriculture.
With around 3,000 dairy farms producing 16.1 billion pounds of milk each year, New York ranks as the fifth-largest dairy state in the United States.
Chobani stated that it is “one of the largest buyers of raw milk in the state,” purchasing over one billion pounds from New York farms annually.
Once fully operational, the new facility is anticipated to increase this figure to an estimated six billion pounds per year.
This investment follows Chobani’s announcement of a $500 million expansion at its Twin Falls, Idaho facility, which aims to boost production by 50%.
Chobani has described the Twin Falls site as “the largest natural food production facility in the country,” producing yogurt, oat milk, and coffee creamers.
