On Sept. 1, Lehigh Valley welcomed its second billion-dollar manufacturing investment this year, a $1.2 billion dairy operation by Chobani.
Founder & CEO Hamdi Ulukaya said the company had developed a new product – a high-protein, low-sugar milk – and needed a location to produce it.
The company chose the Lehigh Valley because of its proximity to major markets and dairy farms, supportive local and state leadership, and availability of an existing food and beverage facility with machinery and a workforce already in place.
“We will work so hard to help to move this community further and tell everyone the magic about the people of Pennsylvania and the farmers and their awesome work,” Ulukaya said.
Here’s a look at Chobani by the numbers, and what those numbers mean to the Lehigh Valley community and Pennsylvania.
1
Chobani’s investment is the largest agricultural investment in Pennsylvania history.
“This announcement is the biggest change for our dairy industry in a generation and represents the culmination of a journey built on collaboration, persistence, and a shared belief in the future of Pennsylvania dairy.” – Russell Redding, Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
3 Billion
When at full capacity, Chobani’s Lehigh Valley facility will process 3 billion pounds of milk annually. That’s 30% of all the milk that’s currently produced in Pennsylvania.
To accommodate that additional demand, the state will make up to $127 million in loans and grants available to dairy farmers to help them expand production and invest in new equipment.
“The facility brings new market opportunity to Pennsylvania’s dairy industry, helping to strengthen the viability of these individual dairy farm families while revitalizing our rural communities that depend on the economic revenue and jobs these farms provide.” – Jayne Sebright, Executive Director, Center for Dairy Excellence
4,000
Pennsylvania has the second-most dairy farms in the U.S., with more than 4,000.
“I can tell you that dairy farmers are some of the hardest working, dedicated, compassionate, innovative, and caring people you'll ever meet. They will truly appreciate the opportunity to contribute their milk to help us expand the dairy industry.” – Jacob Sell, Production Manager, Crystal Spring Farm
900
Chobani says the facility will ramp up employment to 900 as the investment phases in over five years, with 300 of those workers being retained from the current operations at the Keurig Dr Pepper that Chobani is purchasing.
“The folks who work in this plant in Upper Macungie will live in apartments in downtown Allentown. They will visit Main Streets in Emmaus and Coopersburg. And they will patronize businesses all around the Lehigh Valley.” – Josh Siegel, Lehigh County Executive
(Photos by Donna Fisher Photography, LVEDC)