Chobani continued to invest in its employees in 2023. Representatives said the company increased starting wages for full-time hourly manufacturing and corporate employees, boosted 401(k) contribution matching, and partnered with Upwards to assist employees in finding quality childcare. (Submitted photo)

SOUTH EDMESTON — Chobani continues to lead as America’s number one yogurt brand, and as one of the largest employers in Chenango County.

Founded in 2005 by Turkish immigrant Hamdi Ulukaya, Chobani now manufactures its yogurt and other dairy products in South Edmeston and Twin Falls, Idaho. The company employs approximately 3,000 individuals, with over 1,000 working at the South Edmeston plant.

In addition to creating delicious yogurt, oat milk, and coffee creamers, Chobani also leads in employee and community care. The company places a big emphasis on putting people first, and that shows in their investment in their employees as well as their community.

Employee care

Chobani has always made a point to provide quality benefits and opportunities to their employees, and they continued to improve employee care in 2023.

Chobani People Team Director Val Wasielewski said they implemented company-wide employee benefits last year, including a bump in the minimum starting wage to $20 per hour for all full-time employees in manufacturing and corporate hourly positions, which is a far above the country’s average minimum wage.

Wasielewski said they also increased employee 401(k) contribution matching, and have begun aiding with the challenge of finding childcare.

“Helping to alleviate the long-standing and growing issue of quality childcare so many are facing, Chobani also proudly launched a partnership with Upwards, an organization whose mission is to make childcare accessible to all families,” Wasielewski said. “All full-time Chobani employees throughout the U.S., including manufacturing, corporate, and remote workers, now have access to a network of childcare professionals and are eligible to receive backup care credits and an annual cash stipend to put towards childcare or elder care costs.”

Chobani also finds ways to support employees whose first language is not English. Wasielewski said non-native employees are offered free English as a Second Language (ESL) training through the mobile app EnGen.

Moving into 2024, Wasielewski said Chobani will continue to invest in its employees through leadership development, supervisor training, and technical training initiatives for maintenance staff. She said they will also continue to evaluate their pay structure, and make adjustments as needed to remain competitive.

“As a people-first company, we are always looking for ways to improve our employee experience,” said Wasielewski. “We are focused on continued investment in our people and listening to ensure we meet the needs of our diverse and evolving workforce, and addressing key priorities we know are top of mind for our team and so many others in the workplace today.”

Community support

The culture of investment and growth extends beyond the Chobani workforce. Chobani Community Impact Manager Don Brown said in the past year Chobani has had an impact on the area by combating hunger as well as investing in the local and surrounding communities.

The company extended its support to the Utica community last year by providing a $250,000 grant to support the development of the World Market Gallery. The gallery is an exhibit in the Utica Children’s Museum, which is expected to open its doors later this year.

“This was Chobani’s first big investment in Utica, a community where over 40 percent of Chobani employees and their families live,” said Brown. “This milestone is made even more extraordinary by the fact that we will fund the section of the museum that celebrates the music, art, food, and language of regions of the world from where many of our employees come from.”

The investment is just one of many in Chobani’s history, including donations to support the development of the New Berlin Firehouse and Chobani Community Center, and the purchase of a new ambulance for the Sherburne Fire Department.

In 2023, Chobani also provided over $100,000 in grants through the Chobani Community Impact Fund to help fund programs and initiatives that “increase access to nutritious food, address infrastructure needs, and aid in filling the gap for residents experiencing food insecurity in Central New York for over 4,000 individuals,” Brown said.

“What’s really special about this initiative is that our Chobani employee selection committee, alongside The Community Foundation for South Central New York, have a direct impact on their community as they carefully considered applicants’ needs and how the organization plans to support the needs of the community using the grant,” he added.

This year, Chobani Community Impact Fund grants were provided to Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties, Improve Norwich Now – Aunt Mary’s House, Norwich City School District, Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, Rural Health Network Serving South Central New York, St. James Feeding Ministries (The Lord’s Table and Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry) and The Cooperstown Food Pantry.

Due to their constant investment in the local community, Chobani was recognized with the Commerce Chenango Manufacturer of the Year award in 2023.

To combat hunger, Chobani is partnering with local organizations to find ways to fight food insecurity and work toward eradicating hunger within the county.

“Rising food costs due to inflation are something we as a nation have been struggling with for over two years, and we’ll likely still feel those effects into 2024. Now more than ever, families are turning to food banks and pantries for the food they need to be properly nourished – and that’s happening right here in our own backyard,” Brown explained. “We’re up for the challenge and will continue to fight the good food fight, providing families and children with quality nutrition as we continue to support a community that we consider family.”

In October, Chobani launched its first ever Let’s Eat Week to help feed families in need.

“To mark World Food Day, we rolled out a week-long initiative across our hometowns where employees and community members volunteered to assemble and distribute meals to feed over 8,000 children and families in need. We packed 2,000 meals to distribute right here in our own backyard of Central New York,” Brown said.

Chobani also donated refrigeration units to several food pantries, supporting the needs of over 1,000 individuals, according to Brown. He said the donation will help families that rely on food assistance to have access to perishable food items.

While Chobani is able to do a lot for their community, Brown said they can’t do it alone. He encourages local residents to share what they can, and join Chobani’s mission to serve the community and fight hunger.

“Donating resources and time goes a long way! If you are fortunate enough to have regular access to nutritious food, consider donating what you can to a local shelter, nonprofit, or school to help those who aren’t as fortunate,” he said. “We’re proud of the strong relationships we’ve built with our community partners and local elected officials in Chenango County, and hope to continue to work with them to better serve our people and the broader community in our collective fight against hunger.”

“No one sector can end hunger alone; we all need to work together to take care of our most vulnerable neighbors.”

Building the future

Chobani’s fight against hunger also reached Chenango County schools last year. Brown said the company will continue to combat child hunger through their existing initiatives, as well as efforts to eliminate school lunch debt, partnerships with local organizations to donate products, and support of backpack programs that help feed students.

Just before the holiday season, Brown said Chobani donated over $32,000 to eliminate school lunch debt in 11 school districts in local counties, benefiting over 1,300 families.

“This donation allowed us to have a direct impact in the communities where our employees live and work while simultaneously continuing our fight to combat childhood hunger,” said Brown.

Donations like these allow families and students to focus on education, Brown said, but it’s not the only way Chobani is investing in future generations. Wasielewski said Chobani has participated in the BOCES mentorship program, which she said “enables businesses to connect with students in the area to help them better understand and familiarize themselves with the workforce.”

Additionally, Chobani created the Workplace Experience Program in 2023. The program is a partnership with local BOCES technical schools that aims to provide “realistic on-the-job work experience for local students pursuing a college degree.”

Through this program, Wasielewski said Chobani has already had a maintenance intern join their team. She said they plan to continue to grow the program in the future.

In addition to partnerships with local schools and BOCES, Wasielewski said Chobani will also continue partnerships with local colleges and workforce development agencies to support future generations and shape the future of Chenango County.

“For over 15 years, Chobani has had the pleasure of operating in New Berlin,” said Wasielewski. “Since day one, we have developed such an admiration for the wonderful people who have welcomed Chobani with open arms when our founder landed here almost two decades ago, and who have since joined our one-of-a-kind team.”

For more information on Chobani, visit Chobani.com.