Steuben Foods Aseptic Technology Innovation Center

JLP+D was engaged by Steuben Foods — an innovation-focused food manufacturer with facilities in New York City and outside of Buffalo, NY — to help reposition its existing high-tech food manufacturing campus into a next-generation anchor of food science and innovation in New York State. The JLP+D team’s strategy recommended positioning the company to better capture enormous projected growth globally in Steuben’s core business: creating shelf-stable food products through aseptic processing and packaging. That business was expected to grow by $20 billion in the U.S. alone over the next five years, and would see global demand continue to grow, particularly in Asia and Latin America.

Firm president, James Lima, crafted a plan for Steuben to invest in an expanded pilot plant/food technology partnership center – the Innovation Center – while rationalizing and downsizing more traditional manufacturing processing. As a part of the project, Steuben would become a new economic hub, incubating smaller private sector food companies seeking to bring their products to market using aseptic technology. The Innovation Center sought to partner with leading research institutions – such as Cornell University, the University at Buffalo, and City University of New York’s York College – to facilitate further food sector technology transfer as well as to contribute to faculty research and understanding of food processing at these universities.

The JLP+D team helped to secure a significant allocation of New York State tax credits for new investment and job growth for the Steuben Innovation Center. In return, the public sector benefited from private commitment to R&D, and from the potential to establish a food science and innovation cluster adjacent to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Regional Headquarters and Laboratory in Jamaica, NY. Steuben supported New York State’s goal of increasing overseas export activity.