$650 Million Investment Expected to Create Approximately 250 New Jobs in the Town of Webster
Governor Hochul Made Personal Pitch for the Company to Choose New York Based on State’s World-Renowned Reputation as Agribusiness Global Leader
Governor Announces $20 Million State Support to Assist the Town with Needed Infrastructure Upgrades for its State-of-The-Art Wastewater Treatment Plant
Investment Complements “Finger Lakes Forward” – The Region’s Comprehensive Strategy to Revitalize Communities and Grow the Economy
Governor Kathy Hochul and representatives from The Coca-Cola Company and fairlife today marked the groundbreaking on a new fairlife production facility, a $650 million investment in the Town of Webster, Monroe County. The 745,000 square-foot facility, being built on Tebor Road, will serve as fairlife’s flagship Northeast location and is expected to be operational by Q4 of 2025. Empire State Development is providing up to $21 million in assistance for the fairlife project through the performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program and the New York Power Authority is providing nearly 8.5 MW of low-cost ReCharge NY power in exchange for the job creation commitments. The company selected New York following a personal pitch from Governor Hochul due to the invaluable assistance from government and community partners and the state’s world-renowned reputation as an agribusiness global leader with an unparalleled, innovative dairy community. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, the Monroe County Industrial Development Agency, the Town of Webster, Rochester Gas and Electric, and Greater Rochester Enterprise were also instrumental in bringing the company to New York State.
“New York State is one of the best places in the country to build a business. We're proud to welcome The Coca-Cola Company and fairlife’s dairy production facility, which represents a $650 million investment in Monroe County,” Governor Hochul said. “Coming from a family of Irish dairy farmers, this is personal to me — and soon, it will be personal to thousands of Finger Lakes residents who will have access to jobs and economic opportunity. I'm committed to making strategic investments in New York’s agribusinesses to secure our place as one of the top dairy producers in the nation, create good manufacturing jobs, and move our state’s economy forward.”
Coca-Cola EVP and President North America Operating Unit Jennifer Mann said, “Breaking ground on the new fairlife facility here in Webster marks an important milestone for The Coca-Cola Company’s presence in New York. The facility will build upon our strong legacy of economic impact in the state, adding competitive jobs and further bolstering economic vitality for New Yorkers.”
fairlife Chief Executive Officer Tim Doelman said, “We are thrilled to be laying the foundation for fairlife’s next phase of growth as we begin construction of the Webster facility, enabling greater distribution of our products in the Northeast and across the country. We are grateful for the collaboration and support we have received from the town of Webster throughout this process and continue to value our growing partnership with the Webster community.”
Governor Hochul also announced that New York State will provide $20 million through the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation to help the Town of Webster upgrade its aging wastewater treatment plant. This financial assistance is crucial to helping the Town meet its critical wastewater infrastructure needs and support this transformative economic development project. Upgrades at the plant will help increase capacity for growing residential and industrial bases and make operations at the treatment plant more environmentally sustainable. The new investment builds on a $20 million FAST NY grant for Monroe County, announced in 2023 by Governor Hochul, for use at the Tebor Road site in Webster, allowing the county to upgrade the existing electrical infrastructure and enhance the region's appeal to agribusiness and industrial machinery manufacturing sectors.
Read the full press release here.