Dairy company Agri-Mark is planning to invest $30m in a cheese manufacturing facility in Chateaugay town in New York.
The company plans to renovate the roughly 100,000ft2 facility by deploying new cheese vats and other equipment to retain the plant's productivity.
The move is said to help the region's dairy farmers and the employees at the plant.
Agri-Mark is hoping to begin the renovation this summer. The plant will remain functional during the construction phase.
The investment also focuses on providing stability to several hundreds of jobs. Chateaugay town supervisor Don Bilow said: "It means we have 106 quality jobs we're going to retain, it means our farmers are going to have a market for their milk."
The North Country's dairy industry has been experiencing a downturn since several decades. The region is left with only a few cheese plants now. New York officials are striving to keep them operational.
Recently, New York invested millions in the Kraft Heinz cream cheese plant in Lowville. Now, the state of New York is providing $6m in funds for the plant improvement.
Agri-Mark spokesperson Douglas DiMento said: "In spite of difficult times that dairy farmers are experiencing, this is an exciting announcement for the farmer-owners and employees of Agri-Mark.
"We realize that our facility is one of the economic engines in the North Country and by undertaking this project we are letting everyone in Chateaugay and the surrounding communities know that we are here to stay and the jobs and benefits we bring are also here to stay."
Image: Chateaugay cheese plant to be expanded. Photo: Courtesy of Serge Bertasius Photography/FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
