Cayuga Milk Ingredients Debuts Consumer Goods Plant as Part of $270 Million Expansion of New York State Facility
Investment in Tetra Pak® packaging for shelf-stable dairy products underscores company's dedication to sustainability
Denton, Texas (June 18, 2025) – Cayuga Milk Ingredients (CMI), in collaboration with Tetra Pak, a pioneer and world-leading food processing and packaging solutions company, announces the grand opening of CMI’s expanded facility in Auburn, Cayuga County as part of a two-phase, multimillion-dollar expansion and investment in New York state. The ribbon-cutting event, aligned with June’s National Dairy Month, featured a host of local and state leaders and was also attended by key dairy industry groups, including New York Farm Bureau, New York Animal Agriculture Coalition, Northeast Agribusiness and Feed Alliance, and the Northeast Dairy Producers Association.
CMI is a unique leader in the global food market with 1.5 billion pounds of milk produced annually on 65,000 acres of fertile land. The company is owned and operated by 22 farm families with 32 farm locations in the Finger Lakes region of New York state, with a dairy ingredients portfolio that includes milk powders, protein powders and fluid milk products. With the addition of its new consumer goods dairy plant, CMI is positioning itself as a vertically integrated, premium contract manufacturing solution for fast-growing, value-added dairy products, with a commitment to maximizing their nutritional impact while minimizing environmental impact.
"Shelf-stable innovation continues to redefine what's possible in food and beverage," said Mat Rutz, VP of contract manufacturing for Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada. "Working with companies like CMI to expand their portfolio by providing innovative processing and packaging solutions for their products is energizing. We're proud to continue driving this bold new chapter for our industry with sustainable growth in mind."
Tetra Pak and CMI share a deep commitment to sustainability and reducing environmental impact across the food and beverage industry. Through this plant expansion, which was supported by incentives from the state, the companies are advancing shelf-stable packaging solutions that offer cost savings and production efficiencies, while reducing food waste and minimizing the environmental impact of the transportation and storage of food and beverage products.
CMI has already supported over 350 construction-related jobs during the development of the plant and expects to add an additional 150 new jobs once the facility opens in fall of 2025, a workforce development win for the state’s robust agricultural industry.
“The opening of our new consumer products facility marks a new chapter of possibilities, one where innovation, sustainability and responsible farming come together to shape the future of food,” said Brian Linney, CEO at CMI. “As one of the key players in New York’s significant dairy industry, we are excited to continually invest back in our county with a vertically integrated expansion that is sure to not only create meaningful opportunities for our local community but also drive economic benefits back to our state.”
About the Facility
- Expansion of a 235,000 square foot state-of-the-art consumer goods plant, adding to CMI’s existing footprint
- This is a two-phase project:
- Phase one is the expansion of the Eagle Drive facility, including the purchase and installation of UHT/aseptic low-acid packaging systems and new processing equipment
- Phase two of the project includes the addition of machinery and equipment, and the expansion of the facility’s wastewater treatment plant
- The project incorporates cutting-edge industry technologies, upgraded facilities and workforce development
About Cayuga
Cayuga Milk Ingredients (CMI) is a farmer-owned dairy processor located in the Finger Lakes in central New York, producing premium milk and innovative dairy ingredients for customers across the globe. Founded by progressive, sustainability-minded dairy farmers, CMI was built with a clear mission: to produce the highest quality dairy ingredients through innovation, integrity and sustainable stewardship.
With a vertically integrated model and state-of-the-art processing capabilities, CMI transforms high-quality milk into value-added products including high-protein milk, powders and ultrafiltered dairy ingredients. CMI is committed to advancing sustainable agriculture; supporting the wellbeing of its farmers, employees and cows; and delivering exceptional ingredients for the future of food.
More information about CMI is available at www.cmingredients.com.
Media contact:
Stephanie Ward
stephanie.ward@tetrapak.com
940-380-4635