The Coca-Cola Company plans to build a 745,000-square-foot production facility on Tebor Road in Webster for its fairlife brand, which is expected to create up to 250 new jobs.
The company expects to break ground on the project sometime this fall, subject to appropriate approvals and final diligence, with the facility slated to be operational by the end of 2025.
“This decision by fairlife to expand their operations in Monroe County marks the next chapter in New York’s agricultural success story,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “New York’s dairy industry serves as a crucial economic engine for our state, and this $650 million investment from fairlife will create jobs and drive economic impact, particularly in the Finger Lakes.”
Founded in 2012, fairlife has designed a line of products that are made through an ultra-filtered milk process that removes the lactose and much of the sugar and leaves behind more of the protein and calcium.
The company offers a wide range of products including fairlife ultra-filtered milk, Core Power protein shakes and fairlife Nutrition Plan meal replacement shakes.
The Coca-Cola Company has been a strategic partner to fairlife since it was launched in 2012, leading up to the company’s acquisition of it in 2020.
“Consumer demand for fairlife products is at an all-time high, and a new production facility will allow us to significantly increase capacity and deliver fairlife to even more households across the country,” fairlife CEO Tim Doelman said in a statement. “As we continue to grow in the Northeast, Webster’s proximity and access to best-in-class dairy farmers make it an excellent location to support our next phase of growth in the region and beyond.”
Empire State Development is providing up to $21 million in assistance for the project through the performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program in exchange for the job creation commitments.
Additionally, the Monroe County Industrial Development Agency is expected to apply to ESD for a $20 million capital grant so that they can work to provide adequate power and other related infrastructure costs to service the site.
The NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, the town of Webster, Rochester Gas and Electric, and Greater Rochester Enterprise also played roles in bringing the company to the region.
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