Chobani Invests $1.2 Billion in Upstate New York to Build Third U.S. Dairy Processing Plant

NEW BERLIN, N.Y. — Chobani broke ground on a new $1.2 billion plant in Rome, N.Y., on April 22.

Once home to the former Griffiss Air Force Base, the 150-acre open stretch of land will transform into a 1.4-million-square-foot facility that is expected to create over 1,000 full-time jobs, according to the company.

"New York is where Chobani's journey began,” said Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and CEO of Chobani. “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. 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."

The Rome plant is not a standalone operation, said Chobani — it's designed to be a catalyst for an entire ecosystem of food innovation across New York’s Mohawk Valley and beyond. Chobani said it 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 beyond the walls of the new plant.

"Through this partnership with Chobani, we're revitalizing upstate New York's manufacturing sector one spoonful at a time," said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. "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 1 billion pounds of 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 dairy farms each year. Once the new plant reaches full capacity, Chobani said it will purchase an estimated 6 billion pounds per year.