Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced that construction has begun on a $16 million expansion at the Agri-Mark plant located in the Franklin County town of Chateaugay.
Part of a $30 million plant modernization project that started in 2016, the expansion will help the major dairy cooperative retain more than 100 full-time employees and support an additional 514 agricultural jobs in the region.
The expansion and restoration of Agri-Mark’s Franklin County facility involves rebuilding the cooperative’s 110,641 sq.-ft. manufacturing center, reengineering the layout of the facility, and purchasing new machinery and other equipment. This phase of the project dedicates $16 million to building a new state-of-the-art cheese production room to improve plant efficiency and further Agri-Mark’s high-quality standards.
The plant will continue to operate during its modernization effort. Empire State Development is supporting the dairy cooperative’s expansion project with $6 million in funding, including $4 million in Economic Transformation Program funds, to retain 106 full-time jobs and modernize its Chateaugay operations.
