Yogurt plant means at least 400 jobs

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – A decision by New York-based Agro Farma to build its new western manufacturing plant for Chobani yogurt in south-central Idaho will create a large ripple effect with additional jobs, economists say.

The ripple effect for Chobani is high because yogurt is made from milk, a top product of the region, said Jan Roeser, a regional economist with the Idaho Department of Labor.

Moscow-based Economic Modeling Specialists Inc. calculated a job multiplier of 7.57. That means the company’s 400 new jobs will result in additional 2,628 jobs outside the company and a total payroll of $135.4 million.

“The economy is made up of these interdependent relationships,” Joshua Wright, communications manager for the EMSI, told the Times-News.

Company officials on Thursday joined state and local leaders to announce plans to build a $100 million production facility in Twin Falls and add 400 jobs to the local economy.

The decision to move to the Magic Valley was tied to the region’s milk production capacity and trainable workforce, Agro Farma founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya said.

Chobani is currently the nation’s top-selling Greek yogurt.