Cayuga Milk Ingredients (CMI), in collaboration with Tetra Pak, held a grand opening for CMI’s expanded facility in Auburn, New York, as part of a two-phase, multimillion-dollar expansion and investment. The ribbon-cutting event, which was aligned with June’s National Dairy Month, featured a host of local and state leaders and was also attended by dairy industry groups, including the New York Farm Bureau, New York Animal Agriculture Coalition, Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance, and Northeast Dairy Producers Association.

CMI produces 1.5 billion pounds of milk annually on 65,000 acres of land. The company is owned and operated by 22 farm families, with 32 farm locations in New York’s Finger Lakes region and a dairy ingredients portfolio that includes milk powders, protein powders and fluid milk products. With the addition of its consumer goods dairy plant, CMI is positioning itself as a vertically integrated contract manufacturing solution for value-added dairy products, with a commitment to maximizing its nutritional impact while minimizing environmental impact.

“Shelf-stable innovation continues to redefine what’s possible in food and beverage,” says Mat Rutz, VP of contract manufacturing for Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada. “Working with companies like CMI to expand their portfolio by providing innovative processing and packaging solutions for their products is energizing. We’re proud to continue driving this bold, new chapter for our industry with sustainable growth in mind.”

Tetra Pak and CMI share a commitment to sustainability and reducing environmental impact across the food and beverage industry. Through this plant expansion, which was supported by incentives from the state, the companies are advancing shelf-stable packaging solutions that offer production efficiencies while reducing food waste and minimizing the environmental impact of the transportation and storage of food and beverage products.

CMI supported over 350 construction-related jobs during the development of the plant and expects to add an additional 150 jobs once the facility opens in the fall.

“The opening of our new consumer products facility marks a new chapter of possibilities, one where innovation, sustainability and responsible farming come together to shape the future of food,” says Brian Linney, CEO at CMI. “As one of the key players in New York’s significant dairy industry, we are excited to continually invest back in our county with a vertically integrated expansion that is sure to not only create meaningful opportunities for our local community, but also drive economic benefits back to our state.”

About the Facility

The project is the expansion of CMI’s 235,000-sq.-ft. consumer goods plant, adding to its footprint. This is a two-phase project. The first phase is the expansion of the Auburn facility, including the purchase and installation of UHT/aseptic low-acid packaging systems and new processing equipment. The second phase includes the addition of machinery and equipment and the expansion of the facility’s wastewater treatment plant. The project incorporates industry technologies, upgraded facilities and workforce development.