BelGioioso Cheese

Belgioioso Cheese completed construction of its $25 million cheese plant in the Glenville Business and Technology Park. The plant created 46 new jobs in the 96,000-square-foot plant located on a 40-acre site within the park on Route 5 west of Scotia.

BelGioioso was founded in 1979 as a specialty producer of all-natural Italian cheeses. Belgioioso operates nine plants that make fresh mozzarella and about 30 other Italian cheese varieties. Based in Wisconsin, the company operates a second local facility in Schenectady at the former Cappiello cheese plant on Broadway in Schenectady. In Glenville, the company will manufacture its specialty Italian cheeses made from local dairy, creating a new market for milk. BelGioioso’s website explains that artisans train new employees in the cheese-making craft, which is exciting for interested local talent  (https://www.belgioioso.com/Secret).

The project assembled a team of State, County and Local public entities to bring the project to fruition. Among the incentives the company received are $850,000 in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program credits from Empire State Development. The company also obtained a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement through Metroplex in which it will pay taxes on 50 percent of its value in the first year of operation, with the bill rising each year until it is paying 100 percent after 10 years. In addition, the Metroplex Board approved $325,000 for BelGioioso’s water line connecting to Town Water and $60k as match to funding from the company to take down the stacks that were an eyesore at the Park. See before photos below.

BelGioioso bought the property from Metroplex for $1.3 million. The land was formerly owned by the federal General Services Administration (GSA) from the time when the sprawling park on Route 5 was a naval supply and storage facility during and after World War II. Much of the Park has been vacant for a long time. Schenectady County Economic Development Commissioner Ray Gillen, a strong proponent of the project, said "This will put the property back on the tax rolls for the first time since World War II."

The plant's processing water will come from the town of Glenville, which has wells that tap the Great Flats Aquifer. Its sewer connection will be to the village of Scotia, which contracts with the Schenectady city sewage plant for treatment.  The waste will be treated onsite to remove many of the solids in cheesemaking waste. Supervisor Chris Koetzle, another strong proponent of the project, appreciates that “the industry is a perfect fit for the region, given the number of local dairy farmers. Moreover, the site looks great and brings jobs into the community.”