Preparations Continue for Binghamton Dairy Plant

More equipment is being installed at the old Crowley Foods milk processing facility on Binghamton's South Side.

The century-old Conklin Avenue complex is being prepared for use by Mountain Fresh Dairy.

The Queens-based company purchased the property from HP Hood in 2013.

Mountain Fresh plans to operate the site as a kosher dairy processing plant.

A crane was used this week to lift heavy equipment into the building. A section of Conklin Avenue was closed for a short time while the work was underway.

The project to renovate the facility began more than a year ago.

Mountain Fresh Dairy had indicated between 85 and 90 people might work at the plant when it becomes fully operational.

Plant manager Gary Bensley last month had indicated some production could begin by the end of November. Bensley could not be reached Wednesday for an update on the work that remains to be completed before operations can start.

Mountain Fresh Dairy has received loans from the Binghamton Local Development Corporation and the Broome County Industrial Development Agency.

Crowley had operated at the site for several decades before the facility was acquired by HP Hood. More than 50 people lost their jobs when Hood closed the plant in March 2012.

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