Dairy plant starts new build

LONGVIEW – After competing against multiple East Texas cities, Longview officials are excited to see a foundation begin for a new dairy processing facility aimed at creating hundreds of jobs in the community.

According to our news partner KETK, a California-based company named Ninth Avenue Foods is setting up shop in East Texas as construction begins for a dairy processing facility. The site may just be a patch of dirt for now, but Longview Economic Development Corporation (LEDCO) President & CEO Wayne Mansfield says it could be a major boost for the city’s economy.

“This will be a significant impact, creating one hundred and fifty jobs,” Mansfield said.

Mansfield said the facility will take up about 40 acres of land on Lou Galosy Way, producing essential products for Longview and surrounding communities.

“They are in many of the milk products that you use every day, like creamers, butter, whipped cream,” Mansfield said.

Mansfield says, on average, the jobs will pay around $61,000 a year, offering several different positions to people looking to start a career.

“An additional 170 spin-off jobs are associated with it, so you can imagine truck drivers needing to transport the milk to the facility to be processed,” Mansfield said.

He hopes the new opportunity will help make the Longview self-sufficient in the dairy industry.

“If we have interruptions in the supply chain as we did during COVID, at least we know we have a facility here that can get the milk products out,” Mansfield said.

Not only leaving a mark on the city’s economy but also giving its population a chance to grow. Hopefully new people will move into Longview and take advantage of a job opportunity created by the facility,” Mansfield said.

According to Mansfield, the building is expected to be finished by July 2027.