Chobani CEO Touts Twin Falls Labor Force
TWIN FALLS • Chobani President and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya said Tuesday that a skilled labor force, as well as plentiful milk supply, was a big factor in the company choosing Twin Falls for its $300 million plant. Ulukaya was in Twin Falls to view progress at the plant. He also appeared Tuesday at the College of Southern Idaho, where Business Plus Inc. officials gave $150,000 to the Chobani senior management team and the city of Twin Falls. The money will help pay for utility upgrades to wastewater pre-treatment and for natural gas connections.Ulukaya did not give a completion date for the new 900-square-foot plant, saying only it will be done before the end of 2012. It will be the second outlet for the Greek yogurt manufacturer, which now produces its product in New Berlin, N.Y.
The Twin Falls plant will have a beneficial economic ripple effect for the local area, Ulukaya predicted.
“A lot of businesses will follow Chobani’s footsteps, a lot of suppliers,” he said.
He also credited CSI for developing a key training program for newly hired Chobani management employees, saying higher education is critical to Chobani’s success.
“There’s a lot of talent in colleges,” Ulukaya said. “We need that knowledge. We have some amazing people on our team, but we need that training to help us.”
Training is continuing on the CSI campus through Friday. Chobani is expected to provide up to 500 jobs here, and company officials have said most will pay at least $14 an hour.
Mitch Watkins, Business Plus co-president, said the economic development organization is happy to help finance infrastructure for Chobani.
- Published in Latest
It’s probably fair to say that few American have heard of Peak Games, the Istanbul-based startup that recently became the world’s No. 3 social-gaming company in terms of daily active users (DAU). That’s because Peak develops and publishes online games that are culturally targeted at Turkish, Middle Eastern, and North African markets. All but one of the games are available only in Turkish and Arabic.
HOUSTON, PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Houston Mayor Annise Parker announces new non-stop flights to Istanbul beginning April 1, 2013, operated by Turkish Airlines between George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport (IST). "Houston's strong business connections with Turkey created the opportunity to attract this foreign flag airline to our city," said Mayor Parker. "Houston has become the gateway to the world. Our global business structure helps our economy thrive and our job market remains the envy of the nation. These four new weekly flights will surely lead to increased economic opportunity for both Istanbul and Houston."
Felicis Ventures, the “super angel” fund founded by early-Google employee Aydin Senkut, has closed a $70 million round of funding that will be used to invest in technology startups including those in the mobile, health and education industries. In the same week that prominent investor Paul Graham warned startups with little or no sales that it may be more difficult to raise money following Facebook’s IPO, Senkut said he plans to use the funding to back companies with meaningful sources of revenue and the potential for large initial public offerings or acquisitions.
