The new Great Lakes Cheese facility is the largest investment ever, for county and company
By Andrew Harris
Work as begun on the dream project that dominated the news in Allegany County last year at this time. After a dramatic attempt to bring the project to Allegany County, highlighted by eminent domain filing, Great Lakes Cheese selected a site in Franklinville and Farmersville NY. The $518 million dollar plant will replace a failing facility in Cuba NY, keeping over two hundred jobs within twenty miles. The cheese plant hopes to add over two hundred additional jobs.
The project is the largest single investment in the history of both the county and the company. Great Lakes Cheese had this to say about the project as work began:
“Last week GLC officially broke ground at our newest site in Franklinville, New York! We are excited for the opportunities and impact this new manufacturing and packaging plant will have on our communities and the dairy industry. We’re thrilled to be building close to home for the many current Cuba employee-owners who will transition to this new site in 2024. “
The history of the project will live on in Allegany County economic development circles as a “lesson learned.” The county Industrial Development Agency took drastic measures in an aggressive bid to have the new facility built near the I-86 and Route 19 corridor. In the end, the effort was a wild goose chase that benefited several prestiguous law firms. Read our story almost one year ago today announcing the end of the project.
