The New York governor said the new facility will create 1,000 good-paying jobs.
Greek yogurt maker Chobani is set to open a $1.2 billion state-of-the-art processing facility in New York, marking the largest natural food manufacturing investment in the country, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday.
Hochul said in a video statement that the company’s investment marks a “rebirth of manufacturing” in the Empire State, which is the largest producer of yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, and cottage cheese, and the fifth-largest producer of milk.
“Through this partnership with Chobani, we’re revitalizing Upstate New York’s manufacturing sector one spoonful at a time,” Hochul said in a statement. “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.”
The company chose the city of Rome, located about 46 miles east of Syracuse, for its new 1.4 million square foot plant.
“This transformative investment marks a major step forward for our community, bringing new jobs, opportunities, innovation, and growth,” Rome Mayor Jeffrey Lanigan said.
The project, located in the Griffiss Business and Technology Park, was awarded more than $23 million last year to complete infrastructure and transportation improvements. Chobani said it chose this specific location in part for its skilled local workforce, which includes a high concentration of military veterans and graduates from nearby colleges.
The new facility represents a major economic opportunity for the state’s dairy farms, the governor said. When the project is fully up and running, the company expects to process more than 12 million pounds of milk every day.
According to the governor’s office, New York is the fifth-largest dairy state in the United States, just behind California, Wisconsin, Idaho, and Texas. The dairy industry represents the largest sector of New York’s $8 billion agricultural industry.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) applauded the company’s new investment.
“Dairy farmers are the beating heart of Upstate NY, and this massive new facility and 1,000 new jobs will help support so many family farms across the state,” the senator said in a statement.
