Massive Investment Transforms Coopersville Dairy Facility

COOPERSVILLE, Michigan — A transformative expansion is underway in West Michigan as fairlife, LLC announced plans to invest up to $650 million at its Coopersville facility and add 150 new jobs to support growing consumer demand for the ultra-filtered, lactose-free milk and protein shakes.

The Michigan Strategic Fund Board approved two critical measures Tuesday to support the project: a $17 million infrastructure grant for the City of Coopersville and a tax abatement valued at approximately $3.9 million for the company.

"fairlife's investment will create 150 new jobs and power $650 million into West Michigan's economy," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. "This is a huge win for Michigan."

The expansion will add two new high-speed production lines and roughly 245,000 square feet of production space at the existing facility to keep pace with surging consumer demand for dairy products.

Coopersville Facility Already Major Dairy Producer

The Coopersville facility has been part of the community since 2012 and currently employs more than 400 people, making it one of the state's largest dairy-related food processors. The site shares a 100-acre campus with Continental Dairy Facilities, creating a significant dairy production hub in West Michigan.

During today's meeting, the Board also approved a separate request by Muskegon County to upgrade its wastewater infrastructure, a Michigan Business Development Program grant to La Colombe, a Chobani company, and a Michigan Community Revitalization Loan for 109 apartments in Grand Rapids.

Critical Infrastructure Funding Supports Expansion

The $17 million Strategic Site Readiness Program grant will fund improvements to a regional water system serving Coopersville, Polkton Charter Township, and Allendale Charter Township. The current system is more than 50 years old and operating at 80% capacity, creating significant challenges for both current residents and future business growth.

"The City of Coopersville is extremely excited about the opportunity to partner with the MEDC and the State through the Strategic Site Readiness Program to invest in critical water infrastructure that will strengthen our system's capacity and reliability for both current and future needs," said Dennis Luce, City Manager for Coopersville. "This project is not only about improving essential services for our residents and businesses, it also positions us for continued economic growth. In particular, it supports the expansion of fairlife, one of our largest local employers, which is a significant win for our agricultural community here in West Michigan and for dairy suppliers across the entire state."

Coopersville City Manager Dennis Luce called it a "forward-looking investment" that positions the city for continued economic growth well beyond the fairlife project.

Part of Michigan's $125.8 Billion Food Economy

The expansion adds to Michigan's $125.8 billion food and agriculture economy and builds on a decade of growth at the Coopersville site. The facility produces ultra-filtered, lactose-free milk and protein shakes, products that have gained significant market share in recent years.

"The West Michigan agribusiness corridor is a significant component of Michigan's overall economy, and it is imperative it has the infrastructure it needs to produce high-quality, high-recognition products that people across the nation know and enjoy," said Quentin Messer, Jr., CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and chair of the MSF. "We are thrilled to offer our support to the City of Coopersville and fairlife for projects that will impact every component of our 'Make it in Michigan' economic development strategy focused on People, Places, and Projects."

Regional Water System Overdue for Major Updates

The aging water infrastructure in the region represents a significant investment challenge. The current water system, serving over 50 years of growth, has reached its capacity limits and requires substantial upgrades to support both the fairlife expansion and future residential and commercial development.

The Southeast Regional Force Main project is already underway, complementing the new water infrastructure improvements. This combination of projects will ensure the region has the water capacity needed for continued growth.

"Investments like this strengthen the region well beyond a single project," said Jennifer Owens, president of Lakeshore Advantage. "The combination of private investment and public infrastructure improvements helps address longstanding capacity constraints, supports existing employers, and creates the conditions needed for future business growth and job creation across the community. It also builds momentum for the Lakeshore's growing agribusiness and food production industry cluster, where reliable infrastructure and a strong supply chain are essential."

State Leadership Reinforces Michigan's Food Industry

The investment also reinforces the state's mission at the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, which is committed to attracting projects that improve infrastructure and value-added processing in ways that benefit the industry, communities, and regional economies.

"Long-term partnerships like these are evidence that companies see the strength of Michigan's food, agriculture and forestry industry and want to leverage its success," said Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Director Tim Boring. "This investment also reinforces our mission at the state of improving quality of life for Michiganders: We're committed to attracting projects that improve infrastructure and value-added processing in a way that benefits our industry, our communities and regional economies."

Coca-Cola's Strategic Investment in Michigan

fairlife is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company, which announced today that it plans to expand production capacity at its fairlife facility in Coopersville, Michigan, by adding two additional production lines.

The investment of $650 million will include the addition of approximately 150 jobs at the facility. The company is experiencing significant growth and needs to expand production to meet growing consumer demand for lactose-free milk and protein shakes.

What This Means for West Michigan

The fairlife expansion represents one of the largest business investments in recent years for Ottawa County. The 150 new jobs will provide opportunities for local workers, while the $650 million investment will circulate through the local economy as workers earn wages and spend them in the community.

The project also demonstrates the importance of coordinated public-private investment. The $17 million in infrastructure funding and the $3.9 million tax abatement work in tandem with the company's private investment to create a sustainable expansion that benefits both the business and the community.

Sources

• https://www.wzzm13.com/article/news/local/fairlife-adding-150-jobs-investing-650-in-coopersville-expansion/69-c494cb61-c611-4f91-af35-19a2104f5f45
• https://www.michiganbusiness.org/press-releases/2026/03/fairlife-expansion/
• https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/press-releases/2026/03/24/whitmer-announces-150-new-jobs-with-fairlife-expansion-infrastructure-investment-ottawa-county
• https://www.crainsgrandrapids.com/news/manufacturing/fairlife-invests-650m-to-expand-coopersville-plant-add-150-jobs/
• https://www.coca-colacompany.com/media-center/the-coca-Cola-company-plans-650-million-investment-to-expand-fairlife-facility-in-michigan.html