The Rise of the Greek Yogurt Industry in Central New York - NADO.org

of making Greek yogurt generates morewhey than traditional yogurt, this capacityhelped support FAGE’s location at thePark. Bevington notes that FAGE is nowtheir number one customer, which hashelped stabilize rates for all users.From the federal level, both the industrialpark and wastewater treatmentplant received valuable assistance fromthe U.S. Economic Development Administration(EDA) to help develop thiscritical infrastructure. Fulton County isincluded within the Mohawk Valley EconomicDevelopment District (MVEDD),the EDA-designated Economic DevelopmentDistrict which helps set prioritiesfor the region and develop a regionaleconomic development plan.According to Greg Eisenhut,MVEDD’s chief operating officer, theorganization helped secure a $1 millionEDA grant that supported the 300-acreJohnstown Industrial Park project in1989. 35 In 2008, EDA awarded a $2.2million grant toward an $11 million upgradeof the wastewater treatment facility,focused on anticipated growth in foodprocessing at the industrial park.It is also interesting to note that Euphrates,a feta cheese manufacturer, isalso located in the Johnstown IndustrialPark and has benefited from these investments,as well as revolving loans fromboth MVEDD and FCCRG. Euphrateswas started in the early 2000s by HamdiUlukaya, the entrepreneur who subsequentlywent on to found Chobani, innearby Chenango County. 36Beyond the EDA grant, the wastewatertreatment facility was also quiteentrepreneurial in raising funds towardthe balance of the $11 million treatmentplant upgrade, including a $1.4 millionNew York State Energy Research and DevelopmentAuthority (NYSERDA) grant,and a $6 million Green Innovation Grantfrom the New York State EnvironmentalFacilities Corporation, funded throughthe 2009 American Recovery and ReinvestmentAct. 37 The upgrades also includea cogeneration project that takesadvantage of the growing quantities ofmethane gas being produced from thewaste stream and converts it into electricityfor plant use. Bevington indicatesthat visitors from Beijing to Mexico Cityhave traveled to learn about the cogenerationproject, which in 2011 supplied91 percent of the facility’s power needs.In addition to the more site-specificissues, Reese also points to the efforts ofthe New York State Department of Agriculture’sOffice of Milk Control, whichdeveloped the key initial relationshipwith FAGE when the company was firstimporting its product from Greece intometropolitan New York markets. AsCasey McCue of the Office of Milk Controlexplains, New York State workedwith FAGE as the lead state to developa plan to meet federal requirements underthe Pasteurized Milk Ordinance. 38 Ineconomic development as well as business,it’s all about relationships.New York State government continuesto support FAGE through its most recentexpansion in Johnstown. Accordingto the state, the project cost is estimatedat over $100 million for the constructionof the 80,000-square-foot addition, andincludes a state incentive package valuedat over $1.5 million to support thecreation of 130 new jobs over three yearsand the retention of 160 existing jobs. 39Photos inside the FAGE facility, Johnstown, NY, Feb. 2012 byMarc Schultz, The Daily Gazette, Schenectady, NY9