One of the Finger Lakes region's most significant industrial construction announcements of the year arrived on May 20, 2026, when Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed that global pasta maker Barilla will invest nearly $170 million in a two-phase expansion of its manufacturing facility in the Town of Avon, Livingston County. The governor's office made the formal announcement on May 20, 2026.

The company has operated in Avon since 2007, when it opened the facility following an initial $75 million investment. That plant has sustained roughly 145 jobs in the region. The new expansion will push Barilla's total Livingston County investment past $240 million and bring the site's workforce to more than 235 positions once both phases are complete. The Rochester Beacon reported the expansion details on May 20, 2026.

What Is Being Built

Phase One, valued at $145 million, centers on the construction of a new 52,000-square-foot main building to expand manufacturing operations, including one new production line and three packaging lines. A separate additional warehouse facility will also be constructed for storage and distribution of expanded production. The Phase One scope is substantial: a full-depth industrial building with production and packaging line installation, material handling infrastructure, and utility connections capable of supporting food-grade manufacturing operations. Empire State Development confirmed the Phase One details in its press release.

Phase Two accounts for the remaining roughly $25 million and is structured to add a second production line within the new space. Phase Two timing has not been formally announced; Barilla's stated goal is to complete Phase One by March 2028.

The expansion is expected to cut CO2 emissions by approximately 3,000 tons annually, according to Barilla Americas Supply Chain Vice President Fabio Pettenari, reflecting the company's investment in more efficient production equipment alongside raw capacity growth.

Incentives and Partners

Empire State Development is supporting the project with up to $2.75 million through the performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program in exchange for the job creation commitment. The New York Power Authority is also considering assistance. National Grid, Rochester Gas and Electric, Livingston County, and Greater Rochester Enterprise are all contributing to the incentive package. The full list of partners is confirmed in the governor's announcement.

Greater Rochester Enterprise President and CEO Matt Hurlbutt cited the region's food and beverage manufacturing expertise, workforce, and proximity to Northeast markets as decisive factors in Barilla's commitment to expand in place rather than relocate. The expansion fits within the state's Finger Lakes Forward regional strategy, which targets agribusiness and advanced manufacturing as growth anchors.

Why This Matters to Construction Professionals

A $145 million Phase One industrial project in a rural Finger Lakes location is not a routine construction event. Projects of this scale in food manufacturing carry specific technical demands: USDA and FDA-compliant facility design, food-grade flooring and drainage systems, specialized HVAC to control humidity and temperature in production areas, high-capacity electrical service for automated production and packaging lines, and site logistics that accommodate large truck volumes without disrupting existing operations on a live campus.

The construction of a standalone warehouse as part of Phase One also implies significant tilt-up or structural steel work alongside the main production building — two distinct construction scopes that will likely involve separate general contractors or a prime with strong subcontracting depth. 13 WHAM confirmed the warehouse scope on May 20, 2026.

For labor, a project of this size ramping through late 2026 and into 2027 will draw on craft trades from the Finger Lakes and Greater Rochester markets. Structural steel, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, concrete, and specialty food-grade finishing subcontractors should monitor procurement activity closely.

Implications for Owners, Developers, and Contractors

• Industrial developers and site selectors take note: Barilla's decision to expand in place reflects the competitive value of Livingston County's infrastructure, utility access, workforce base, and agribusiness supply chain. That signal matters for future industrial recruitment in the region.
• General contractors targeting large industrial work in the Finger Lakes region should begin tracking this project's procurement timeline. Phase One is targeted for completion by March 2028, which suggests a construction start within the next 12 to 18 months.
• Specialty subcontractors in food-grade facility construction, conveyor and packaging line installation, and industrial electrical work should engage with Greater Rochester Enterprise and Livingston County IDA as the project moves toward procurement.

What to Watch Next

Watch for site plan approvals and building permit filings with the Town of Avon as Phase One moves through design and engineering. NYPA's formal assistance decision will be a milestone indicator of project readiness. Procurement for design-build or construction management services will be the clearest signal that the timeline is being activated toward a construction start.

Phase Two, while less defined, will become more concrete once Phase One achieves substantial completion and Barilla evaluates demand for the additional production line capacity.

Bottom Line

Barilla's $170 million commitment to Avon is the largest food and beverage manufacturing construction announcement in the Finger Lakes region in years and one of the most significant industrial construction projects in Greater Rochester's near-term pipeline. For construction professionals tracking industrial work across the region, this project represents a major procurement opportunity in a specialized and technically demanding building category.