ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Lactalis USA will invest $75 million to upgrade and expand two dairy facilities in southern and western New York, including a plant in an economically distressed town in the Catskills.
The company, a subsidiary of Lactalis, the French multinational that is the world’s largest dairy corporation, will put $15 million into its factory in Walton, Delaware County, to automate and expand cottage cheese and sour cream production, resulting in a 30% boost in output and 20 jobs, according to a news release. The project will include new fillers, high-efficiency particulate air filtration, advanced lab equipment, new roofing, boiler upgrades, and several other improvements. Located at 261 Delaware St., the Walton plant produces Breakstone’s sour cream and cottage cheese.
Lactalis’ $60 million expansion of its Buffalo facility includes installing six 50,000-pound vats, an advanced cheese belt, separators, silos, and a robotic palletizer. The factory, which produces Galbani ricotta, mozzarella and provolone cheese, currently relies on technology that requires extensive maintenance, according to a release. The upgrades are expected to create about 30 new positions…