MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – After three years of working with Mountaintop Beverage, West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt officially welcomed them to the Morgantown Industrial Park Friday.
The state-of-the-art beverage manufacturing facility is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year and employ about 300.
“We’re looking at a chance to really revitalize the dairy industry, not just in West Virginia, but in Pennsylvania as well,” Leonhardt said.
The facility uses the “aseptic” process to produce a shelf-stable dairy product, something Leonhardt had seen during his military service in the Middle East. Dairy products are pasteurized in ultra-high temperature then immediately bottled in a sterile environment with special packaging and direct thermal labels.
“We need this process here in the United States and it’s growing and we’re going to have a state-of-the-art plant right here in West Virginia,” Leonhardt said.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito has toured the facility a few times during construction and believes the company has a bright future here.
“The fantastic milk, iced coffees and all kinds of beverages, we’re going to be on the cutting edge here” Capito said after her latest tour Friday. “This is going to help our dairy farmers, it’s going to help our kids in school- what a great company.”
Mountaintop Beverage is one of the most exciting projects I’ve seen in West Virginia, and I’m thrilled that they’ll soon open up shop in Morgantown! pic.twitter.com/jTPv9ziCn2
— Shelley Moore Capito (@SenCapito) September 16, 2022
This phase is a 475,000-square foot facility that is designed for expansion as demand for coffee, dairy and other beverage products produced there increases. Additionally, officials plan to work with West Virginia foodbanks and backpack programs to help those less fortunate.
“This is designed for expansion- they can expand,” Leonhardt said. ” I fully expect this over 300,000-square foot facility to eventually be 700,000-square feet someday.”
The total investment in the area by Mountaintop Beverage is estimated to be more than $300 million.