Hamdi Ulukaya, the Founder and global CEO of yogurt brand Chobani, has officially opened a new warehouse and office facility in Melbourne’s south-east.
Working with Australian developer Aliro, this expanded site features a new office and significantly increases Chobani’s warehouse and logistics footprint while freeing up production space in its factory, in line with the company’s growth plans.
A state-of-the-art research and development pilot plant is situated at the new site, with the facility allowing Chobani to consolidate its operations in one easy location.
“We have long-term ambitions to grow our business, not only through growth in the yogurt category but also expansion beyond dairy, and this new facility will set us up to achieve these growth plans,” says Chobani Australia’s Managing Director Lyn Radford.
The opening of the new Dandenong South facility solidifies Chobani’s commitment to the local area, enabling it to deliver opportunities and benefits to the community.
“Dandenong South has been our home since day one, so we are really excited that we will continue to be a part of this thriving local manufacturing hub and give back to the local community in which we operate,” says Lyn.
Born and raised on a dairy farm in a small village in Eastern Turkey, Hamdi moved to the US in 1994 to study English. Craving the yogurt he loved back home and unable to find it in the US, he decided to buy a run-down yogurt factory and create Chobani from scratch.
Meaning ‘shepherd’ in Turkish, Chobani embodies the hard-working and compassionate spirit of the mountain farmer of Hamdi’s homeland.
Named as an Eminent Advocate by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) for his work with refugees, recipient of a United Nations Foundation Global Leadership Award, a Global Citizen prize winner and having being named as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World for his charity work and business philosophy, gives just a small snapshot of the man that he is.
For more information, visit www.chobani.com.au