Chobani and Ferrero Group grow in more than one place at a time.
Uhen opening the pantry or refrigerator door to satisfy a craving in an instant, how often is the backstory of the product considered?
Before food and beverage products ever hit the grocery store shelves they find their beginnings in fields across the globe, often closer to your backyard than you’d think. Manufacturers depend on a steady supply of various produce, livestock and field crop products and are willing to locate directly near the source.
Since January 2024, more than 1,000 food and beverage projects have been announced throughout North America, from manufacturing facilities and distribution warehouses to R&D centers and fresh office space. While many of these investments reflect an individual project, some manufacturers delivered multiple projects over the course of the year.
Global food manufacturer Chobani currently operates in four locations in the world — Australia, Idaho, Michigan and New York — and with demand on the rise the company plans to return to its home base to expand. Twenty years since the launch of Chobani’s first manufacturing location in South Edmeston, New York, the company is heading 50 miles northwest to the city of Rome to introduce Project Gladiator, representing the largest U.S. investment in a natural foods production facility.
“New York is where Chobani’s journey began,” Chobani Founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya said in announcing the new project in April. “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.”
Chobani has begun construction on a new $1.2 billion production facility on 150 acres of the former Griffiss Air Force Base, now known as the Griffiss Business and Technology Park. The site will handle more than manufacturing of the company’s leading yogurt, oat milk and creamer products, as it will additionally serve as a hub for future innovation. Community collaboration will be vital to the project’s longevity, gathering expertise from Mohawk Valley farmers, businesses, higher education institutions, entrepreneurs and leadership to promote new economic opportunity while fueling a future talent pipeline.
The facility will house 28 production lines capable of processing 12 million pounds of milk each day, producing more than 1 billion pounds of the brand’s leading dairy products. Chobani’s focus on natural ingredients has placed an emphasis on the importance of New York dairy farmers who already supply over 1 billion pounds of raw milk annually to the company’s operations in South Edmeston. The company stated that once the Rome facility is complete, Chobani expects to increase raw milk purchases to 6 billion pounds per year.
“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,” said Ulukaya. “When you invest in people, in local communities, you’re not just building a business — you’re building a future.”
The activity follows Chobani’s March 2025 announcement of a $500 million expansion of its Twin Falls, Idaho, operations — the company’s largest facility investment at the time — which aims to increase production capacity by 50% once complete. Project details include an additional 500,000 sq. ft. of production space for a total of 1.6 million sq. ft. across 24 production lines. Construction at the Twin Falls site is anticipated to be completed in 2026, creating at least 160 new jobs.
There’s Always Room for Dessert
Innovation is at the forefront of the Ferrero Group’s latest North American expansion projects, as new flavors and treats are set to head into production at Ferrero locations in Ontario, Canada, and Franklin Park, Illinois.
Both investments were driven by the company’s popular Nutella brand. In Ontario, Ferrero’s $321 million Brantford expansion will introduce new production lines designed to produce Nutella Biscuits — the first time the product will be manufactured outside of the company’s European operations. In addition, Ferrero will launch its latest innovation, Ferrero Rocher chocolate squares, which for now will be exclusive to the Ontario facility.
Much like Chobani, the company depends on the local raw materials supply chain for ingredients such as wheat flour, refined sugar and dairy. The region’s robust agricultural base, in addition to its workforce and advanced manufacturing capabilities, made it the ideal Ferrero location in which to expand the nearly 20-year-old facility. The investment will support integration of new technology such as Internet of Things systems and advanced robotics to boost productivity, while creating 500 new jobs.
Just outside of Chicago in the village of Franklin Park, Ferrero is preparing to integrate a new Nutella flavor into production at the same location that manufactures Butterfinger and Baby Ruth products. The new flavor is the first time the company has strayed from its traditional hazelnut chocolate spread in over 60 years, adding just one new ingredient — peanut butter. Nutella Peanut was the catalyst to construct the nation’s first Nutella production line in Illinois, which will be available in stores by mid-2026.
The $75 million investment will create 65 new jobs at the facility, part of a portfolio of Illinois operations that include the company’s first North American chocolate plant (opened in May 2024 in Bloomington), a Keebler production site on 110th Street in Chicago and an Innovation Center and R&D Labs that launched in 2023 in Chicago’s historic Marshall Field and Company Building.
