Fairlife announces technology disruption at its operations

USA – Fairlife, LLC, a dairy company owned by Coca-Cola, has identified unauthorized access by a third party to a portion of its systems, including its production-related systems, in connection with a ransomware event.

After detecting the issue, the company promptly activated its incident response and business continuity protocols.

The company’s investigation and assessment of the impact of the incident are ongoing, with assistance from outside advisors and cybersecurity experts.

The company has also notified law enforcement. The full scope, nature and impacts of the incident are not yet known.

Product quality and safety have not been impacted. However, as a result of the incident, production operations at Fairlife in the United States are temporarily suspended. Fairlife’s Canada production operations are not currently impacted.

Fairlife is a popular brand in health and fitness circles. Their milk products are filtered, allowing more protein per serving. Their Core Power protein shake is commonly found in supermarkets, convenience stores, and supplement shops.

Coca‑Cola Company invests US$650M to expand Fairlife facility in Michigan

Recently, the company announced a US$650 million investment to expand production at its Fairlife facility in Michigan.

The investment at its Coopersville manufacturing plant will add 245,000 square feet of production space and create 150 additional jobs, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation said in a statement.

Fairlife, which produces ultra-filtered, lactose-free milk, protein and nutrition shakes, has been located in Coopersville since 2012.

It employs more than 400 people. Facility updates will help production keep up with consumer demand as the brand sees significant growth, the press release stated.

The announcement followed the Michigan Strategic Fund Board’s approval of a US$17 million grant to fund regional water system improvements, as well as US$3.9 million “Alternative State Essential Services Assessment” abatement for the Fairlife project.

Jennifer Owens, the President of Regional Economic Development Agency Lakeshore Advantage, said in a statement that the expansion builds momentum for the Lakeshore’s growing agribusiness and food production industry cluster.

Additionally, the company is also set to inaugurate its state-of-the-art Fairlife production facility in Webster, N.Y., this year.

Announced in 2023, the company selected Webster, New York as its preferred location for a new Fairlife production facility as part of the brand’s continued expansion in the Northeast market.

To receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa, the Middle East and around the world, SUBSCRIBE HERE.