fairlife to expand and build a new production facility in Arizona
Published: 04/08/2019
Updated: 10/09/2019
Facility: 300,000 sq. ft. advanced manufacturing facility, $200+ million capital investment, set to open fall of 2020
Jobs: 140
Broker: Pat Feeney and Dan Calihan, CBRE
Developer/Land Owner: Kevin Czerwinski, Merit Partners
Legal Representation: Patrick Paul, Byron Sarhangian and Julie Quigley, Snell & Wilmer
Chicago, Ill. – April 08, 2019 – fairlife, LLC announced plans today to increase overall production capabilities with the construction of a new 300 thousand square foot production and distribution facility in Goodyear, Arizona – a suburb of Phoenix. fairlife currently produces multiple varieties of dairy-based beverages at its production plant in Coopersville, Michigan, and distributes the highly nutritious beverages to retailers in the United States and Canada.
“I’m extremely proud that the demand for our milk has grown so much that we now need another manufacturing site! In choosing a new plant location, it is essential that the new facility be built in an area where dairy farms are willing and able to follow fairlife’s responsible animal care and sustainable farming practices while producing the highest quality milk. Not only are there amazing dairy farmers in and around Goodyear, its location enables competitive domestic and international production,” said Tim Doelman, Chief Operating Officer for fairlife, LLC.
The new $200+ million facility, which is slated to begin operation in the back half of 2020, will house production lines that will play a key role in meeting the growing demand for fairlife. Working with the United Dairymen of Arizona (UDA) to source milk from numerous dairy farmers in Goodyear, the new fairlife plant will enable increased production of all fairlife products, including the different varieties of fairlife ultra-filtered milk®, Core Power®, fairlife® YUP!™, fairlife® smart snacks™, and fairlife® nutrition plan™.
“fairlife is a pioneer in the dairy industry and having their new plant here will not only encourage innovation in Arizona, it will contribute to our efforts to grow our advanced manufacturing sector in our community,” stated Mayor Georgia Lord of Goodyear, Arizona.
“This substantial investment in Goodyear is another win for the West Valley,” added Sandra Watson, President & CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. “The jobs that will be created by fairlife’s manufacturing operation, in addition to induced jobs created for Arizona dairy farmers, is excellent news for our state.”
Located at the corners of Cotton Lane and Thomas Road in the west valley of Phoenix at the Palm Valley 303 Business Park, the new facility will incorporate advanced manufacturing technologies and efficient, energy-saving equipment to reduce power consumption. It will create more than 140 jobs locally and augment benefits within the local economy, from the development and construction of the facility to the continuous resources and suppliers needed to support daily operations.
“There has been significant investment in the West Valley that continues to drive the regional economy forward,” says Chris Camacho, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “fairlife’s decision to expand to Goodyear is emblematic of the collaborative spirit of the region and highlights the determination local partners have to support business expansion. We look forward to the opening of its advanced manufacturing plant.”
“Sometimes, I think back to that day over 20 years ago when Mike and I sat at our kitchen table and came up with the idea of cold-filtering our milk for higher nutrition. We dreamt of a more nutritious milk for consumers. It is extremely rewarding to see the results of our hard work pay off and make this dream a continuing reality, thanks to the great dairy farmers here in Arizona. We look forward to working with all our amazing partners and are committed to supporting the economic growth in the southwest region,” disclosed Sue McCloskey, dairy farmer and co-founder of fairlife.
For more information about fairlife® and its complete portfolio of fairlife products, please visit fairlife.com.