Colombia Plans $15 Million NY Expansion

Alpina Foods plans to build a 28,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Genesee County Economic Development Center’s (GCEDC) Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park. The Colombian company told El Tiempo, a Spanish-language media outlet, that construction of its Batavia plant would begin this August with scheduled completion in May 2012. The $15 million project is expected to create 50 new jobs.

Alpina makes specialty yogurt along with milk, baby food, desserts, cheeses, creams and butter.

The company told media in Colombia that it could receive incentives from various state agencies in New York, including the Empire State Development Corporation, the Department of Labor and the Community Renewal office. GCEDC officials would not comment on the announcement.

Alpina said Batavia was chosen because of its proximity to milk supply and markets, and because of state incentives.

The Batavia project would make Alpina the first multinational food company founded in Colombia. “Alpina is a symbol of pride not only to Colombians but to the entire Andean region,” company president Julian Jaramillo told El Tiempo.