U.S. Dairy Plant Construction Brings Billions in Spending

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Written by Eric Funderburk for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

According to Industrial Info Resources data, there is more than $14.5 billion of active dairy projects in the U.S., ranging in their development timelines from planning to active construction. Nearly $7 billion worth of these projects are actively under construction.

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A Nationwide Trend, One Clear Winner

According to Industrial Info Resources data, there are 499 active dairy projects in the U.S., worth more than $14.5 billion and ranging in their timelines from the early planning stages to on-the-ground construction. Nearly $7 billion worth of these are currently under construction, with New York state pulling in the lion's share of this spending.

New York Dairy Spending

According to Industrial Info Resources data, New York has 10 dairy projects under active construction--the same number as Wisconsin; however, a few high-dollar projects give New York a significant edge in dairy-sector spending.

Wells Enterprises, which manufactures such well-known brands as Blue Bunny, Halo Top lower-calorie ice creams and the Blue Ribbon ice cream line, is underway with the second phase of an expansion of its century-old plant in Dunkirk, New York. Phase I kicked off in mid-2024 and included adding a 200,000-square-foot building.

After Phase I wrapped up last summer, Phase II commenced, which entails adding more production lines to double the plant's output to around 20 million gallons per year. Phase II is expected to last into 2028. Subscribers to Industrial Info Resources' Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Food & Beverage Project Database can learn more by viewing the related project reports.

By far the largest dairy project under construction in New York is Chobani's grassroot yogurt plant in Rome, New York. The project's total investment value is more than $1 billion, which is appropriate considering the scale of the project, which includes around 1.4 million square feet of building space and 28 production lines to produce about 1 billion pounds of yogurt products each year. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.

Another Chobani Project Underway

According to Industrial Info Resources data, Chobani also is expanding an existing plant in Twin Falls, Idaho. Design-build firm Shambaugh & Son began construction on the 500,000-square-foot building addition early last year and is expected to wrap up the project this summer. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.

Daisy Brands Building $1 Billion+ Dairy Project

While Chobani is the nation's leading dairy spender at the moment, construction of another large, $1 billion-plus U.S. dairy project is underway. Daisy Brands' grassroot plant in Boone, Iowa, will manufacture the company's popular lines of cottage cheese and sour cream. The project is expected to last until early 2028. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.

Other U.S. Dairy Construction

The Chobani and Daisy Brand projects put New York, Iowa and Idaho as the top three spenders, respectively, for on-the-ground U.S. dairy construction. In addition to being the top spender, according to Industrial Info Resources data, New York, with 10 projects, is tied with Wisconsin for having most dairy projects under construction. Although Wisconsin's overall spending is much lower than any of the top-three spending states, it earns the reputation as a leading dairy provider through multiple active construction projects, a number of which involve cheese manufacturing.

Outside of Wisconsin's significant commercial dairy manufacturing base, an 18-building dairy innovation center from the University of Wisconsin is under construction in Prairie du Sac, around 30 miles northeast of the university's Madison campus. Construction started in late 2024 and includes the addition of multiple barns and lab facilities as well as various storage and support buildings. The project is expected to be completed late next year. Subscribers can click here to learn more about the project.

Key Takeaways

• According to Industrial Info Resources data, there are nearly $7 billion worth of dairy projects under construction in the U.S.
• In regard to underway projects, New York leads in terms of value, thanks to largely to a project from big spender Chobani.
• Iowa and Idaho round out the no. 2 and 3 destinations for the value of dairy construction activity.

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About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).