Officials on Thursday gathered for the traditional hard hat and shovel photo at the groundbreaking ceremony at Byrne Dairy’s DeWitt plant at 6750 W. Benedict Road in DeWitt. (Photo credit: Onondaga County Twitter feed)
DeWITT, N.Y. — Byrne Dairy on Thursday broke ground on a $24 million expansion at its Ultra Dairy plant in DeWitt, representing the first phase of the company’s $125 million plan to expand and create nearly 250 jobs in Onondaga County.
The three phases — supported by $15 million in state funding — include several additional projects at its other production and warehouse facilities.
The initial phase will create 30 new jobs and includes a 42,000-square-foot expansion, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a Thursday release.
In addition to the 30 new jobs, the Ultra Dairy expansion will help retain almost 200 jobs at the facility.
The expansion will also allow the plant to increase its packaging capability, along with additional processing capacity and storage space.
Additional projects include a further expansion of the DeWitt facility, expansion of the company’s yogurt and cultured-product facility in Cortlandville, and an extension of its warehouse capabilities in Syracuse and DeWitt which will result in the creation of 248 new jobs.
New York State is providing a $7.5 million grant for the projects through the “CNY Rising” Upstate Revitalization Initiative funding. In addition, the state is offering another $7.5 million through the Excelsior tax-credit program in exchange for the job creation commitments.
“We’re excited to begin this next chapter of Ultra Dairy’s growth,” Carl Byrne, president and CEO of Byrne Dairy Inc., said in the release. “Our ability to expand to meet the growing demands of our customers is critical to the success of not only Byrne Dairy, but also family farms throughout Central New York. Under Gov. Cuomo’s leadership, Empire State Development has been a strategic partner in ensuring Byrne Dairy’s continued growth,” Byrne said.
The company’s Ultra Dairy plant, located at 6750 W. Benedict Road in DeWitt, first opened in 2004. The facility uses an ultra-high-temperature pasteurization process to extend shelf life of up to 150 days.
Ultra Dairy processes conventional and organic milks, creams, and other dairy products as well as a variety of non-dairy products. The expansion will allow Byrne Dairy to “substantially increase” output by adding processing capacity and increasing efficiencies in downstream equipment.
Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com
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