Chobani, which owns Philadelphia-based La Colombe, is investing $567 million in the coffee roaster’s West Michigan plant to help expand the brand’s ready-to-drink canned latte production, writes Lara Schwartz for the Philadelphia Business Journal.
The Michigan facility’s expansion will add more than 200,000 square feet of production space and create 340 new jobs, building on the 312 positions the plant will continue to retain.
Kathryn O’Connor, chief marketing officer for La Colombe, noted that the brand identified an “amazing opportunity” to expand its canned latte offerings, as ready-to-drink coffee made with “high-quality ingredients” remains limited on store shelves. The product line debuted in 2016.
La Colombe was acquired by New York-based Chobani for $900 million in late 2023. Eight years later, Chobani’s founder and CEO, Hamdi Ulukaya, became a majority shareholder in the coffee company.
“La Colombe has been making ready-to-drink lattes in Norton Shores for more than a decade, and from day one this community has welcomed us with open arms,” said Ulukaya.
Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti founded La Colombe in Fishtown in 1994, building the brand from the ground up.
Read more about La Colombe and its expansion strategy in the Philadelphia Business Journal.
