Many yogurt aficionados are familiar with the creamy products made by Fage (pronounced FAH- yeh), the largest dairy producer in Greece. That was evident by the company's significantly increased U.S. sales in 2005. To help meet that escalating demand, Fage USA, the company's U.S. subsidiary,

Greek yogurt specialist Fage is building a new manufacturing plant in Johnstown.

broke ground in September on a $70- million, 110,000- sq.- ft. (10,200- sq.- m.) yogurt manufacturing plant that has been in the planning stages for two years.
   Fage produces yogurt in closed- circuit aseptic production lines which are sealed to prevent contamination from airborne bacteria or human contact. Fage expects the plant to be operational in early 2008, when it will employ more than 60. Fage yogurt was introduced to the U.S. in 2000 and is sold in major supermarkets and gourmet and specialty stores.
   Further growth in New York's dairy industry is coming in Lowville, where Kraft Foods is spending more than $10 million to upgrade its largest cream cheese factory, which processes more than 300 million pounds of milk annually.
   Also on the upstate's food processing agenda is an expansion of the Purina PetCare plant in Dunkirk, a $70- million project that will create 39 jobs.