The Chobani Rome yogurt plant project is a US$1.2 billion dairy processing facility spanning approximately 253 acres at the former Griffiss Air Force Base in Oneida County, New York. Since the initial announcement, the project has moved through three rounds of site plan revisions, with the Rome Planning Board unanimously approving the third and final revised plan on February 3, 2026. Key design changes include the removal of a fruit processing unit in response to community concerns, shifting the main facility over 250 feet further from residential property lines, and consolidating the driver building and wastewater treatment plant into a single structure. Chobani’s attorney Kevin McAuliffe of Barclay Damon LLP presented the revisions to the board alongside updated traffic and noise mitigation measures, including a 25 mph on-site speed limit and a prohibition on Jake Brake use near the facility perimeter.

Infrastructure Moves in Phases as Milk Processing Target Shifts to 2027

Active construction is now visible across the Triangle Site and its surrounding road network. Oneida County began tree clearing in early 2026, marking the physical start of site preparation across the approximately 253-acre footprint. Perimeter Road off State Route 825, the primary vehicle access point for the facility, was reported as 50 percent complete as of February 2026, with full completion targeted for summer 2026. In March 2026, Oneida County broke ground on a new roundabout and noise wall along State Route 825, funded through a combination of county and state resources, with completion expected by fall 2026. Additional planned infrastructure includes a 12-inch steel natural gas main, a sanitary sewer pump station and force main, and two new electrical transformers delivering an additional 50 megawatts of power to the site. While an earlier target had pointed to initial production by late 2026, Chobani officials now indicate that the first milk is expected to enter the facility in 2027, with the plant’s seven production lines coming online progressively over several years thereafter. The scale of Chobani’s capital deployment across the United States is substantial: alongside the Rome facility, the company has simultaneously broken ground on a US$567 million expansion of its La Colombe coffee plant in Norton Shores, Michigan, underscoring the breadth of its national manufacturing build-out.

Project Overview

• Project Name: Chobani Rome Dairy Processing Facility
• Location: Triangle Site, Griffiss Business and Technology Park, Rome, Oneida County, New York, USA
• Developer/Owner: Chobani, LLC
• Total Cost/Value: US$1.2 billion
• Scale/Capacity: Approximately 253 acres; up to 28 production lines; over 1 billion pounds of dairy products per year; 12 million pounds of milk processed daily
• Construction Start: Tree clearing and site preparation began February 2026; infrastructure works ongoing
• Expected Completion: Construction through 2026; first milk intake targeted for 2027; full production line ramp-up over several years
• Funding/Financing: Private investment by Chobani; US$73 million in New York State tax credits; supported by FAST NY site readiness program
• Current Status: Under construction; site preparation and surrounding infrastructure works active
• Key Milestone: Rome Planning Board unanimously approved third revised site plan on February 3, 2026; roundabout and noise wall construction began March 2026

Project Team

• Chobani, LLC — Developer and Owner
• New York State Government (Governor Kathy Hochul) — State Partner and Incentives Provider
• Empire State Development — State Economic Development Agency
• Oneida County (County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr.) — Infrastructure and Site Delivery
• City of Rome (Mayor Jeff Lanigan) — Municipal Authority and Planning Oversight
• Rome Planning Board — Site Plan Review and Approval
• Barclay Damon LLP (Kevin McAuliffe) — Legal Counsel for Chobani
• Napierala Consulting (Rod Ives) — Technical Engineering Consultant
• Griffiss Business and Technology Park — Site Host Authority
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation — Regulatory Oversight (wastewater and environmental compliance)
• Local dairy co-operatives (Oneida County region) — Milk Supply Partners

Reported 24th April 2025: Chobani, one of the largest yogurt producers in the United States has announced that it will be constructing a US$1.2 billion plant in Rome, Oneida County. This is one of the largest yogurt plant investments in the nation. It will make New York the number one producer in the country. Along with the large investment announcement, the company also stated that the project is expected to bring numerous benefits to the community. These benefits include the employment of over 1,000 locals during production which will help support numerous families across the state.

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The plant will be built in the Griffiss Business and Technology Park, located in Rome. The Chobani yogurt plant will take up 1.4 million square feet. Additionally, the plant will be able to process over a billion pounds of yogurt and other dairy products yearly. Furthermore, the company has been offered US$73 million in state tax credit for the plant. The location of the billion-dollar plant is also significant as there are over 3,000 dairy farms in New York. They all produce over 16 billion pounds of milk each year which will be to Chobani’s benefit as this is their main ingredient. 

Project Overview

Location: Griffiss Business and Technology Park, Rome, New York

Project cost: US$1.2 billion

Scope: 1.4 million square feet

Chobani’s Position in the Yogurt Market

With a market share of 20% in the United States, the company was established in New York state nearly two decades ago. It has since grown tremendously. Further, it also recently announced a US$500 million expansion plan for their facility in Twin Falls Idaho. This upgrade is set to bring the factory to the same level as the planned Rome facility. Additionally, it operates two factories in Chenango County. These include the original plant in South Edmeston and the second plant in New Berlin. The company currently has approximately 500 employees in New York alone but once the plant is completed, the number is set to triple.

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