Chobani breaks ground on new plant in New York
Image: Chobani
After announcing a US $500 million expansion in Twin Falls, Idaho recently, US yogurt giant Chobani broke ground on a new, $1.2 billion plant in Rome, New York. “New York is where Chobani’s journey began. It was the perfect spot to start Chobani 20 years ago, and it’s the perfect place to continue our story. Working with dedicated dairy farmers and the resilient community, we built something truly special – something bigger than the food we make. We ignited a movement toward better food made with heart, passion, and only the highest-quality ingredients,” said Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and CEO of Chobani.
“With our new plant in Rome and our original home in South Edmeston, we’re entering a new dimension, partnering with hard working people across the heartland of New York to build an ecosystem of natural food production and nourish families throughout the country. When you invest in people, in local communities, you’re not just building a business, you’re building a future.” Once home to a US Air Force base, the 150-acre open stretch of land will transform into a centre of food production, enabling Chobani to keep up with product demand and create runway for new innovations, the company says. The 1.4 million square-foot facility is expected to create over 1,000 full-time jobs.
With capacity to produce over one billion pounds of high-quality dairy products per year, the new plant will house up to 28 production lines designed to process approximately 12 million pounds of milk per day. One of the largest buyers of raw milk in the state, Chobani purchases over a billion pounds of raw milk from New York State dairy farms each year. Once the new plant reaches full capacity, Chobani will purchase an estimated six billion pounds per year, creating additional economic opportunity and strengthening the state’s dairy industry, the company says.
