Yogurt maker Dannon will invest $88 million to expand in Minster, OH and add 100 new jobs during the next three years, the Dayton Business Journal reports.
Gov. John Kasich joined company executives this week at the Dannon plant in Auglaize County to announce the project, which will increase production capacity. A release by Gov. Kasich’s office said state incentives, combined with Dannon’s belief in Ohio’s strong workforce, were key factors in the company’s decision to expand in Ohio, rather than in Pennsylvania or Iowa.
The western Ohio site is the largest yogurt manufacturing plant in North America, currently employing 410 workers and producing more than 3 million cups of yogurt per day. Dannon’s investment will expand its current 400,000-square-foot facility in Minster and add machinery and equipment production lines that should be operational by the end of the year.
The Ohio Department of Development offered Dannon a job-creation tax credit of $566,000 and a $460,000 grant to be used for workforce training and new equipment. Dannon is a subsidiary of Paris-based Danone.
