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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Newstead Ranch Inc. Expands Two Facilities In New York State Finger Lakes Region

03/10/2017
Newstead Ranch Inc. is expanding operations at two of its egg farms in the Finger Lakes region of The Empire State, located in Genesee and Wayne County, New York. The growth and remodeling efforts at Newstead Ranch’s properties are expected to create up to 55 new jobs over the next five years.

The organic Sunrise egg operation located in the Genesee County town of Alabama, New York, 34.5 miles northeast of Buffalo, has grown with increased demand from consumers. The company plans to continue expansion on the farm with the construction of two pullet growing buildings, five laying henhouses and the buildout of the feed mill to support the additional volume of feed necessary. They also plan to build an egg processing facility, refrigerated storage and packaging supplies warehouse.

The company also plans to expand its operation in the Wayne County town of Wolcott, New York, 41.2 miles northwest of Syracuse. This project entails the construction of six new barns as part of the planned transition to cage free egg production. A manure processing facility will also be built to support the proposed growth.

Newstead Ranch Inc. is a fourth generation family owned egg farm with approximately 1.9 million laying hens. Egg production is based at three sites, the original farm located in Clarence, a second farm in Wolcott, and an organic egg farm located in Alabama in Genesee County.

Michael Kreher with Newstead Ranch said, “We appreciate the governor’s support of agriculture in our region. The rapid transition to cage free egg production over the next eight years to meet commitments by supermarkets, restaurants and food service companies necessitates a tremendous amount of investment by our family in new buildings and equipment. Along with the cage free transition, we continue to see consumer preference shift to our organic eggs. This support will allow us to remain competitive as we continue to increase employment in our rural communities.”

The total cost of the renovations at the targeted facilities is almost $64 million. State funding for project, which will come through Empire State Development, totals up to $3 million. The Wayne County portion of this project uses funding from the state Economic Transformation Program, which promotes economic development initiatives in communities affected by the July 2014 closure of four state facilities, including the Butler Correctional Facility. Up to $2.75 million of the state funding will come through the Economic Transformation and Excelsior Jobs programs in exchange for job commitments. Another $250,000 will come through a capital grant. The project was also made possible through the support of both the Genesee and Wayne County Industrial Development Agencies.

President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky said, “Supporting Upstate agribusiness is crucial to the state’s overall economic success. Advancing innovative agricultural endeavors will translate to new jobs and strengthen the industry, which already serves as a cornerstone of the Upstate economy,” said Howard Zemsky, President, CEO & Commissioner of Empire State Development.

The project will span five years and will focus on future growth and expansion of the Genesee County organic egg farm and the transition to cage free egg production at the Wayne County Farm.

“New York’s farmers are the backbone of our economy, and the expansion of Newstead Ranch will create new jobs and support the growth of the Finger Lakes’ vital agriculture sector," Governor Andrew Cuomo said. "Our investments in promising farms and businesses lay the groundwork for future job creation and economic growth across the entire region as we continue to move the Finger Lakes Forward."

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