Danone North America Expands the Largest Production Facility Making Plant-Based Yogurt Alternatives in the United States

Danone North America, the U.S. market leader in yogurt and the world’s largest Certified B Corp™, is also the top plant-based producer in the U.S. The company’s DuBois, Pennsylvania facility is dedicated to plant-based food production, including yogurt.

DuBois, PA (February 8, 2019) – Danone North America is proud to formally open a new building at the company’s DuBois, Pennsylvania facility to increase production of its plant-based foods to meet growing consumer demand. This multi-million dollar investment to expand the company’s capacity in DuBois grows the largest production facility making plant-based yogurt alternatives in the U.S. and adds additional capabilities, creating new opportunities for both Danone North America and the local surrounding community. Today, the company will celebrate this important milestone during a ribbon-cutting ceremony with local officials and members of the community.

Flexitarians, people cutting down on animal protein or people following a vegetarian diet who eat meat occasionally, account for one-third of the total population in the U.S.,¹ and the total plant-based food category in retail is growing at 20 percent, compared with all food, which is growing at two percent.² “As flexitarian eating patterns continue to evolve and grow in popularity, plant-based food options present an opportunity to bring new choices throughout the grocery store,” said Mariano Lozano, CEO, Danone North America. Given this opportunity, Danone, the parent company of Danone North America, has set a broader global ambition to grow its plant-based business three times by 2025.

The DuBois facility sits on 24 acres, and the plant, with the new addition announced today, covers a total of 180,000 square feet. Following the expansion, the facility will now produce Vega® yogurt alternatives and nutritional powders, in addition to Silk® yogurt alternatives and So Delicious® Dairy Free yogurt alternatives and dairy-free cheese shreds. “Dairy-free is different than non-dairy – dairy-free options must be produced in a facility that is solely dedicated to plant-based food production. As consumers continue to seek out more dairy-free options, having a facility that meets this standard gives us an opportunity to deliver on their growing demand and high expectations,” said Lozano.

“We’re proud to be a part of the DuBois community where we are now making several of our beloved plant-based products for our Silk, So Delicious Dairy Free and Vega brands,” said Chad Stone, Plant Director at Danone North America’s DuBois facility. “Our expertise in plant-based foods is made possible by the dedication of people in the facilities like DuBois where we focus on production to support this important area of growth.”

“The community is incredibly important to us, and we’re thrilled to open more than 60 new positions now that our facility has grown,” said Stone.

“Many people who enjoy our products look for plant-based options because they are interested in lessening their impact on the environment through diet,” said Stone. “Recognizing this is a priority for the people we serve, we are committed to continuously improving our environmental practices to ensure they are best-in-class. We have several projects underway including minimizing waste, reducing electricity consumption by converting to LED lighting across all areas of the DuBois facility and creating efficiencies for water use in our cleaning processes.”

The DuBois facility continues to make progress towards Danone’s priority environmental targets. In 2018, the facility reduced energy usage by 9 percent, measured in kilowatt per ton, and reduced cubic meter per ton of water consumption by 6 percent compared with the prior year. Additionally, of the facility’s total waste generated, only 7.5 percent went to landfill with the majority being diverted to recycling and reuse.

The area where the facility sits was once a local airport. Today, Danone North America is proud to provide continued opportunities to grow this facility, which has been important to the local community for generations.

[1] Mattson survey – US Market. Flexitarians = consumers cutting down on animal protein + vegetarian diet followers eating meat occasionally
[2] Nielsen Retail Data. Commissioned by the Plant-Based Foods Association. Plant-Based Food Sales Grow 20 Percent, July 30, 2018; https://plantbasedfoods.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/PBFA-Release-on-Nielsen-Data-7.30.18.pdf.

Danone North America is a Certified B Corporation business unit of Danone and operates in the U.S. from headquarter offices in White Plains, NY and Broomfield, CO. Danone North America was formed as a Public Benefit Corporation in 2017 to nourish people, communities and the world through its diverse portfolio of healthful dairy- and plant-based products, coffee creamers and beverages. Its portfolio of brands includes: Activia®, DanActive®, Danimals®, Dannon®, Danonino®, Danone®, Earthbound Farm®, Horizon Organic® premium dairy products, International Delight® coffee creamers and iced coffee, Light & Fit®, Oikos® Greek yogurt, Silk® plant-based foods and beverages, So Delicious® Dairy Free, Vega® and Wallaby® Organic. The mission of the Company is to bring health through food to as many people as possible. For more information, please visit DanoneNorthAmerica.com.

Media Contacts:
Alessandra Simkin
Danone North America
914-259-0263, Alessandra.Simkin@danone.com