Coca-Cola invests in fairlife in US

The Coca-Cola Company has selected Webster, New York in the US as its preferred location for a new fairlife production facility as part of the brand’s continued expansion in the Northeastern US market. The new 100-acre facility is expected to source from local milk co-operatives to produce fairlife’s dairy-based beverages before distributing them to retailers across the region.

Fairlife CEO Tim Doelman said, “Consumer demand for fairlife products is at an all-time high, and a new production facility will allow us to significantly increase capacity and deliver fairlife to even more households across the country. As we continue to grow in the Northeast, Webster’s proximity and access to dairy farmers make it an excellent location to support our next phase of growth in the region and beyond.”

The dairy industry is New York’s largest agricultural sector and contributes significantly to the state’s economy. Webster is between dairy cooperatives in the Rochester and Niagara regions, with a surrounding workforce that has the relevant manufacturing and food and beverage experience, making it the ideal location for fairlife’s expansion, the firm says.

“This decision by fairlife to expand their operations in Monroe County marks the next chapter in New York’s agricultural success story,” New York’s governor Kathy Hochul said. “New York’s dairy industry serves as a crucial economic engine for our state, and this $650 million (€595.4m) investment from fairlife will create jobs and economic impact, particularly in the Finger Lakes. Coming from a family of dairy farmers in Ireland, I am proud to have secured this major opportunity to position our state as one of the nation’s top dairy producers.”

Groundbreaking and construction of the new facility are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2023, following due diligence and appropriate approvals. The facility is anticipated to be operational beginning in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The fairlife brand launched in 2012 and has since exceeded $1 billion (€916m) in annual retail sales. It offers a wide range of products including fairlife ultra-filtered milk, Core Power protein shakes, and fairlife Nutrition Plan meal replacement shakes.

The Coca-Cola Company has been a strategic partner to fairlife since it was launched in 2012 through the company’s ultimate acquisition of it in 2020.

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