Fairlife is increasing production at its $650 million dairy processing plant in Webster, New York. A ribbon-cutting marked the facility’s initial ramp-up rather than full operation. The 745,000-square-foot plant is expected to receive five million to six million pounds of milk daily. Some areas still require further work, and the company expects all three production lines to be fully operational later in 2026.

The Webster celebration follows groundbreaking for a separate $650 million expansion at Fairlife’s Coopersville plant in Michigan. The two projects carry the same investment figure but concern different production locations.

Milk supply and local infrastructure

Fairlife and New York Governor Kathy Hochul celebrated the initial production phase on Aug 20, 2026. Approximately 380 full-time jobs had been created at Webster. Fairlife said the plant was already sourcing milk daily from more than forty local dairy farms. The facility will serve as the company’s flagship Northeast operation.

Empire State Development is providing up to $21 million through the performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program. The New York Power Authority awarded an 8,470-kW ReCharge NY low-cost power allocation in March 2024. State assistance also includes $20 million for Webster’s wastewater treatment plant upgrades. A separate $20 million FAST NY grant, announced in 2023, supports electrical infrastructure at the Webster site. These public infrastructure measures accompany the company’s manufacturing investment.

Western New York farmland
Regional farmland

Construction plans and earlier targets

Fairlife and Coca-Cola had announced the project in May 2023. Coca-Cola’s Apr 19, 2024 groundbreaking announcement described a planned 745,000-square-foot building on approximately 110 acres. The company selected Webster for its proximity to dairy cooperatives in the Rochester and Niagara regions.

At that stage, the project was expected to generate approximately 250 jobs and begin operating in the fourth quarter of 2025. Tim Doelman, then Fairlife’s CEO, linked the investment to distribution in the Northeast and across the country. Coca-Cola’s North America operating unit president Jennifer Mann and Governor Hochul joined the groundbreaking celebration.

Webster construction and initial production milestones
Groundbreaking and production ramp-up

Features planned for the new building

The 2024 design included environmental measures that Coca-Cola expected to reduce the facility’s footprint. Planned equipment and controls covered:

  • stormwater use for irrigation and cooling;
  • electric-vehicle chargers and designated parking;
  • LED lighting with timers, photocells and occupancy sensors;
  • conveyors and HVAC systems that switch off when unused.

Production recovery after the July disruption

Coca-Cola announced on Jul 27, 2026 that Fairlife had resumed the majority of production at its four facilities in the United States. A ransomware event had involved unauthorised access to part of its systems, the taking of data and a temporary suspension of production.

The company said restoration of affected systems and operations was continuing. It also said existing inventory had largely protected retail availability and that product quality and safety had not been affected. Those statements accompanied the July recovery update, ahead of the August celebration at Webster.

Kathy Hochul
New York Governor Kathy Hochul