LEGISLATIVE  RESOLUTION  commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Kraft
Foods Plant in Lowville, New York
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize the mile-
stones of those businesses within the State of New York which contribute
to the economic health and vitality of the communities they serve; and
  WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its  long-
standing  traditions,  this  Legislative Body is justly proud to commem-
orate the 40th Anniversary of the Kraft Foods  Plant  in  Lowville,  New
York; and
  WHEREAS, The Kraft Foods plant located on Utica Boulevard in Lowville,
New  York, has been a source of community pride since production started
on March 22, 1971; and
  WHEREAS, For four decades, it has been producing one of the most popu-
lar products known  worldwide,  Philadelphia  Brand  Cream  Cheese;  the
Lowville facility produces more Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese than any
other place, in the world; and
  WHEREAS,  With  a horse named Paddy, one wagon, and sixty-five dollars
of capital, James Lewis Kraft started his cheese business in Chicago; by
1923, his business grew, becoming the number one cheese business in  the
world; and
  WHEREAS,  In  1928, Kraft purchased the Phenix Cheese Corporation, its
closest rival in the cheese industry; at that time, the  Phenix  company
was  known  for its production of Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese, which
was first produced in Edmeston, New York in 1880;  even  before  negoti-
ations  were  completed  for  the  Phenix,  plans were in progress for a
gigantic merger of cheese interest extending from the Mohawk  Valley  to
the Canadian border in northern New York; and
  WHEREAS,  These  cheese  interests  included  the  purchase  of cheese
plants, creameries, milk receiving stations and cold storage facilities;
on April 1, 1928, Kraft purchased the Lowville Cold Storage, known to be
the largest cold storage facility for cheese in the world; and
  WHEREAS, By the 1960s, the cheese industry was changing, giving way to
new technologies; soon after, Kraft Foods  began  upgrading  across  the
United  States building state-of-the-art production facilities employing
this new technology; and
  WHEREAS, Lowville was selected as the site of one of  these  ultra-mo-
dern  cheese  facilities  due to its location as one of the largest milk
sheds in the northeastern United States as  well  as  its  proximity  to
local  long  term  dairy farms, and its laborers who were well-known for
their unparalleled work ethic; and
  WHEREAS, In July of  1969,  Kraft  Foods  began  construction  on  the
163,000  square  foot Lowville plant which sat on 22.6 acres of land and
consisted of three 55-foot silos with a capacity of 40,000 gallons; and
  WHEREAS, On March 22, 1971, the state-of-the-art  facility  began  its
initial  cheese  production;  since  the  first day of operation, it has
continuously upgraded its facility,  thereby  nearly  doubling  in  size
since its inception 40 years ago; and
  WHEREAS, It is with great pleasure that this Legislative Body acknowl-
edges  this  exceptional business and its contributions to the local and
State economies, fully confident that it  will  continue  to  enjoy  the
sparkling successes it has experienced thus far; now, therefore, be it
  RESOLVED,  That  this  Legislative  Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Kraft Foods Plant  in  Lowville,
New York; and be it further
  RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Kraft Foods, Lowville, New York.