Weda - Chobani Yogurt Will Open $100 Million Facility in Southern Idaho

Details: Parent Category: Recent Headlines; Published on Wednesday, 09 November 2011 20:07

SIEDO

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Contact: Jan Rogers

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Chobani Yogurt Will Open $100 Million Facility in Southern Idaho

TWIN FALLS, ID – November 9, 2011 -- Chobani, the country’s #1 selling brand of yogurt, will expand with a second domestic manufacturing plant in Twin Falls, Idaho. The $100 million high capacity production facility will be housed on 200 acres of agricultural and industrial land. Ground-breaking is slated for December 2011 with operations beginning in 2012. Initially, 400 workers will be hired.

This is significant economic development news for southern Idaho as well as the whole state. “We anticipate Chobani’s planed investment to result in an additional $200 million in regional sales,” said Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter. “Between construction activities, employment at the plant and the sourcing of local supplies like milk, there’s no question that the economic effect of Chobani’s new site will run deep throughout southern Idaho, benefiting family farms as well as our dairy and construction industries. We’re thrilled Chobani chose Twin Falls as their second home,” Otter said.

While Chobani considered other western locations for their facility, southern Idaho was selected because it offered strength in three key areas: western location, large availability of high-quality milk and strong workforce.

“We visited numerous possible states over the past several months and met a lot of great people along the way,” said Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO and Founder of Chobani. “It was a hard decision to make, but in the end, we chose Twin Falls due to its abundant milk supply, skilled labor force and tight knit local community. We’re looking forward to starting the next chapter of the Chobani story here in Idaho’s Magic Valley.”

Chobani’s economic impact to the region and to the state will be substantial. “For every 10 jobs created by Chobani, another 66 will be created in other industries. And over $266 million will be added to the economy as a result of their capital investment anticipated to reach $128 million,” said Jan Rogers, executive director of Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization. “This is a significant win for our region, our dairy farmers, our residents and the entire state of Idaho. We’re proud to have

Chobani join the Twin Falls community,” she said.

Agro Farma, parent company of Chobani, was founded by Hamdi Ulukaya in 2005 and their Chobani Greek Brand Yogurt was launched in 2007. Today, Chobani is America’s #1 brand of Greek Strained Yogurt. Chobani is headquartered in Norwich, N.Y.