Greenfield Cheese Production and Conversion Facility

Dennis Group partnered with long-time client Great Lakes Cheese as the design-build lead for the company’s largest and most advanced cheese production and conversion facility to date. Located on a 200-acre campus, the 600,000-square-foot plant represents a $700 million investment and sets a new benchmark in scale and sophistication for the industry.

The state-of-the-art facility will process 4 million pounds of milk per day, delivered by 80 tankers from 35,000 cows, to produce mozzarella, provolone, American cheddar, and whey protein concentrate. Additionally, the plant will feature conversion capabilities for shredding and slicing cheese. High-speed, high-capacity lines offer the flexibility to accommodate a wide range of SKUs for diverse customers.

This project features a pallet racking solution spanning multiple warehouse spaces and designed to accommodate tens of thousands of pallet positions. To meet stringent NYSDEC standards, an advanced biological treatment system was added to the site.

Special consideration was given to the Raw Goods warehouse to account for totes containing blocks of cheese. The push-back racking system carts were specially designed to accommodate the specific types and weights of the totes. Additionally, the in-rack fire protection system design was tailored to the warehouse layout, maximizing space utilization while ensuring appropriate protection for plastic loads.

Dennis Group led successful incentive negotiations, securing financial support from National Grid and National Fuel Gas for the project. The new facility also generated over 250 new jobs, contributing to regional economic growth and establishing long-term value to the community.