Ya YA Foods, a major food and beverage manufacturing company that provides end-to-end packaging solutions, is expanding in Ogden. Ya YA Foods recently entered into a partnership with Oatly, a well-known oat-based products company currently located in Ogden. Ya YA Foods now plans to expand operations at the Ogden facility.
The expansion is expected to have a significant economic impact for Ogden with Ya YA Foods generating up to 302 new, high-paying jobs and expending roughly $92M in capital investment.
Ogden City’s Engineering Division and Economic Development Division have been collaborating with Ya YA Foods for months on the necessary utility line upgrades to make the project feasible. Encouraged by the positive economic impact of the company’s expansion in addition to an investment to upgrade utility lines, the Ogden City Council has approved a reimbursement agreement with Ya YA Foods. Ogden City will fund the initial cost of the infrastructure improvements with Ya YA Foods reimbursing the project costs over time. Further, Ogden City Engineering has contributed significant staff time in modeling and designing the improvements and will also serve as construction manager for the project.
"I am thrilled that Ya YA Foods is expanding their current facility in Ogden,” said Ogden City Mayor, Mike Caldwell. “This exciting announcement is both a testament to Ogden’s appeal as a community as well as the expertise of Ogden City staff who collaborated with Ya YA Foods on finding a path forward to meet the project’s timeline. This expansion will provide a significant boost to our local economy by providing new, high-paying jobs. We look forward to the continued partnership with Ya YA Foods.”
Brandon Cooper, Community and Economic Development Director for Ogden City attributes the success of the Ya YA Foods expansion to the City’s strong relationships both internally and with companies and key community stakeholders. “This project would not have been possible without Ogden City staff and Ya YA Foods having an open line of communication that allowed us to draft a win-win agreement. We appreciate the support Ya YA Foods has received from our partners at Boyer/ BDO, the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO), the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDC Utah)DC Utah, and the Northern Utah Economic Alliance (NUEA).”
Echoing Cooper’s sentiments, Scott Cuthbertson, President and CEO of EDC Utah, remarked, “Ya YA Foods’ expansion in Utah resulted from incredible collaboration among Team Utah partners. Oatly made its first decision to locate in Utah in 2019, and Ya YA Foods is well-positioned to build on that success — demonstrating the ongoing impact of economic development on Utah’s prosperity.”
Ogden City’s support for the utility upgrades was an integral part of GOEO’s decision to award Ya YA Foods a post-performance incentive through the state’s Economic Development Tax Increment Financing program (EDTIF). "We are thrilled to see Ya YA Foods expanding in Utah.," said Ryan Starks, executive director of the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity. "Supporting this expansion aligns with our economic vision, fostering growth and job opportunities. The many jobs that result from this expansion will enhance our economic landscape and continue to build Utah as an ideal home for the food and beverage industry.”
"We extend our sincere thanks to the City of Ogden for its support in helping our project become possible” said Yahya Abbas, President and CEO of Ya YA Foods. “We look forward to a long and successful partnership ahead.”