Chobani breaks ground on $1.2B upstate N.Y. plant
Courtesy of Chobani
Chobani on April 22 broke ground on a new, $1.2 billion, state-of-the-art dairy processing plant in Rome, N.Y.
"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 the former Griffiss Air Force Base, the 150-acre open stretch of land will transform into a thriving center of food production, enabling Chobani to keep up with soaring product demand and create runway for new innovations. The 1.4 million square-foot facility is expected to create over 1,000 full-time jobs with competitive wages, an attractive benefits package, and access to a suite of on-site health and wellness amenities, the company said.
"Through this partnership with Chobani, we're revitalizing Upstate New York's manufacturing sector one spoonful at a time," Gov. Kathy Hochul said. "Chobani has been a major employer in the Mohawk Valley for decades, and this massive new $1.2 billion investment will bring more than 1,000 good-paying jobs to Oneida County — the largest natural food manufacturing investment in American history. When I took office, I pledged to make New York the most worker-friendly and business-friendly state in the nation, and projects like this one show our strategy is working."
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 6 billion pounds per year, creating additional economic opportunity and strengthening the state's dairy industry.
Rooted in the belief that business can be a force for good, the Rome plant is not a standalone operation. It's designed to be a catalyst for an entire ecosystem of food innovation across the Mohawk Valley and beyond. Chobani will partner with local farmers, businesses, colleges, universities, government leaders, entrepreneurs, and community organizations to drive new thinking, train the next generation of high-skilled labor, and fuel economic opportunity far beyond the walls of the new plant, helping to transform the region.
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