COLUMBUS – The Chenango County company which has taken supermarkets by storm with its Chobani Greek-style yogurt is moving forward with plans to expand its original South Edmeston site.

According to Agro Farma Vice President of Operations Keven Bucklin, the project involves construction of an approximately 100,000 square foot refrigerated warehouse and renovations to the existing plant.

“We’re currently leasing a building in Albany (for refrigerated storage),” Bucklin said. The addition of the warehouse on site will not only eliminate that need, he explained, but will also allow the company to increase production and decrease traffic congestion around the plant.

The company has already acquired a 14-acre parcel across the road from their existing facility, and is waiting to close on a second, roughly half acre parcel where Rick’s Tavern is currently located. Currently, they are conducting archeological and geological surveys, as well as the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) required by New York State.

“The plan is to start actually digging in July,” Bucklin reported. The majority of the building should be completed and online by the end of the year, he added, with all work finished by the end of the first quarter of 2011.