TWIN FALLS, IDAHO — Chobani Inc. has won the 2013 Food Plant of the Year Award from Food Engineering magazine for its new, state-of-the-art, one million square foot Greek Yogurt plant in Twin Falls, Idaho, which is twice the size of the world’s next largest yogurt plant.
Indiana-based mechanical contractor Shambaugh & Son was the prime design/builder for the record 10-month, fast-tracked construction, from foundations to production, of the Chobani plant.
Among other things, Shambaugh & Son provided all site and plant infrastructure and all mechanical, electrical, ammonia refrigeration, fire protection, process equipment, process piping, and utility piping systems. The plant is designed to process a record amount of yogurt per day, while lowering energy and production costs. Shambaugh designed and constructed the plant with infrastructure for future expansion and technology that enables greater flexibility and efficiency in production.
Shambaugh & Son has been the design/builder of five food plants that have been awarded "Plant of the Year" from Food Engineering magazine — in 1990, 1992, 1998, 2007 and now, 2013.
A leading facilities services and construction contractor in the Midwest, Shambaugh & Son is a subsidiary of EMCOR Group Inc.
Criteria for the award included the plant’s contribution to the company’s actual or projected long-term business plans; the level of innovation in processing and packaging line design using creative, new technology, or creative use of existing technology; building and site design innovation; productive integration of workforce into the overall plan; food safety innovation; and flexible manufacturing.
"We're pleased Chobani selected Shambaugh & Son to construct its complex new yogurt plant, and we’re delighted to have been part of this award," said Mark Shambaugh, president and CEO, Shambaugh & Son. "This award, in addition to similar awards to four other plants on which Shambaugh & Son has worked in past years, is recognition and testament to our ability to conceive and execute highly complex and demanding projects for food manufacturers."
“Shambaugh — world-class, world-class people. They’ve been devoted to this project 24/7 from day one,” stated Hugh Roddy, Chobani’s senior director of Global Automation/Controls & Energy Management.