Yogurt brand Chobani is making a big move in the state of New York, according to Syracuse.com. The outlet reported that the company is set to build a massive $1.2 billion yogurt plant in Rome, New York, within the Griffiss Business and Technology Park, with Gov. Kathy Hochul speaking to the matter in quoted remarks emphasizing job creation and economic investment.
“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,” Hochul said.
According to state officials familiar with the matter, Chobani kicked off a nationwide search to select the perfect location for its new factory, eventually landing on Rome in upstate New York. The brand’s CEO, Hamdi Ulukaya, reinforced this pick in a concise statement.
“New York is where Chobani’s journey began,” Ulukaya said. “It was the perfect spot to start Chobani 20 years ago, and it’s the perfect place to continue our story.”
WKTV quoted Rome Mayor Jeff Lanigan on the subject of Chobani’s planned expansion, with the mayor being effusive in his praise for the move.
“What an incredible day for the City of Rome, for Oneida County, for New York State, and for the United States,” Lanigan said.
“It is with great pride, excitement, and heartfelt appreciation that I welcome Chobani to our community. This isn’t just a business development — it’s a transformative moment that will shape Rome’s future for generations… To the entire Chobani family — welcome to Rome,” the mayor continued.
Chobani New Rome Yogurt Factory To Span 1.4 Million Square Feet, Employ More Than 1,000 Workers
Alongside the plan to employ more than 1,000 workers at its Rome yogurt plant, the preliminary projections regarding the size of the factory indicate that it could be substantial in size — up to 1.4 million square feet.
And with so much space and manpower at Chobani’s disposal, its output is also slated to be considerable. The plant is expected to play host to 28 production lines and boast the capacity to process over 12 million pounds of milk a day, producing 1 million pounds of yogurt in the same time frame.
When fully operational, the plant is expected to purchase an estimated 6 billion pounds of milk a year, largely from local farmers. The figure provided in the estimate given by Syracuse.com suggests that the plant, alone, would purchase one-third of the state’s entire milk production.
