How a Turkish immigrant turned a defunct yogurt factory into a global dairy empire

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Hamdi Ulukaya arrived in the United States with little more than a dream and a family recipe. By ignoring traditional corporate playbooks, he transformed a shuttered factory into the world's leading yogurt brand, all while pioneering a radical model of employee profit-sharing and large-scale refugee advocacy.

Born into a Kurdish dairy-farming family in eastern Turkey, Hamdi Ulukaya moved to the United States in 1994. His path to success began in 2005 when he purchased a closed Kraft Foods factory in South Edmeston, New York. Despite warnings from advisors, he invested in a milk separator and spent two years perfecting a strained yogurt recipe with a master from Turkey. He named the brand Chobani, derived from the Turkish word for shepherd, and launched it in 2007.

Ulukaya’s business strategy defied industry norms. Lacking the budget for traditional advertising, he bypassed slotting fees by paying stores in product and utilized a fleet of sampling trucks to reach consumers directly. This approach proved highly effective; by 2012, Chobani had surpassed $1 billion in annual sales and became the world's top yogurt brand. His expansion continued with a massive $450 million facility in Twin Falls, Idaho, which remains the largest yogurt plant globally.

Beyond his commercial success, Ulukaya has championed a philosophy that prioritizes social responsibility over pure profit. In 2016, he granted 10% of company shares to his employees and has consistently advocated for higher wages, including a $15 hourly starting rate implemented by 2021. His philanthropic efforts are equally ambitious; he founded the Tent Foundation to assist refugees and signed the Giving Pledge, committing to donate a significant portion of his fortune to support displaced people worldwide.

Ulukaya’s influence extends into public policy and community development. He has supported initiatives ranging from technical training for workers to covering school lunch debts for students in Rhode Island. Whether through his advocacy for Kurdish rights or his efforts to reform corporate culture, Ulukaya maintains that businesses should focus on humanity, arguing that a sense of purpose is essential for creating positive global change.

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