MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI — Amid plans for a $479 million expansion of its Norton Shores facility, La Colombe Coffee Roasters is investing more money in expanding access to nutritious food.
La Colombe and its parent company Chobani on Monday, Feb. 23, announced a $250,000 grant for Creating Healthy Schools Muskegon County to prepare more fresh, healthy meals for students and to build a stronger local food workforce.
The funding was announced at a press conference at the Muskegon County Marquette Campus, which was attended by local, state and federal representatives, including U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Grand Rapids, and state Sen. Jon Bumstead, R-Muskegon, and state Rep. Will Snyder, D-Muskegon.
“As a mom of two school-aged kids I know how important healthy nutrition is not only for their educational attainment but their mental health,” Scholten said. “So, making sure that we have not just food, but good nourishing food is so critical.”
The grant will help fund upgrades to two commercial kitchens inside the Marquette Campus building at 1903 Marquette Ave. Suite A113. The revitalized spaces will also support a new line of student-created food products for schools and community organizations.
“Part of our mission is that no kid would go hungry in the communities that we call home,” Max Finberg, vice president of government affairs for Chobani, said. “Thanks to La Colombe’s plant being here since 2016 and Chobani acquiring it just over two years ago, we now call West Michigan home.”
Creating Healthy Schools Muskegon is a program of the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District. The program aims to improve student health through hands-on food education, local food sourcing and workforce development.
“You hear the phrase often in education, ‘it takes a village,’ and this project is a great example of what that truly means,” said Muskegon Area ISD Superintendent Randy Lindquist. “This is going to make an impact in Muskegon County but beyond Muskegon County as well.”
During the 2024-2025 school year, CHS engaged over 16,500 K-12 students with garden, nutrition and culinary education. Additionally, 65 culinary students completed 2,740 hours of industry work experience.
CHS also purchased $168,900 worth of produce from local farmers and provided over 200,000 summer meals to children in Muskegon County during the 2024-2025 school year.
Alix Draves, a culinary student at Grand Rapids Community College and a recent graduate of Montague Area Public Schools, told MLive/The Muskegon Chronicle that, under CHS, he has seen the nutritional value of school meals increase during his high school years.
“Getting to see the difference between these heat-and-eat packages that other school districts have and the fresh food that is created in Montague and throughout Muskegon County is fantastic,” he said.
At Monday’s press conference, Scholten announced she had secured another $750,000 for Muskegon Area ISD that will go toward advanced manufacturing training and equipment for high school students and adult learners.
“The goal is clear: expand access to in-demand manufacturing careers, strengthen the talent pipeline for local defense and aerospace employers and drive real economic mobility in our community,” she said.
The $250,000 grant for CHS was part of a total $1 million in grants awarded to four community organizations and projects through the Chobani and La Colombe Legacy Project Fund.
Grants were also awarded to Lutheran Settlement House in Philadelphia, Shoshone Falls Overlook in Twin Falls, Idaho, and Hyde Park in New Berlin, N.Y.
Recipients of the legacy fund are chosen by employee vote and are located in the communities where Chobani and La Colombe operate, Finberg said.
This is the second grant La Colombe has awarded to a food-focused organization in Muskegon County this year. Last month, the company announced $100,000 in grants through its Community Impact Fund were awarded to seven Muskegon County organizations.
The Community Impact Fund is an annual grant started by Chobani to help local organizations expand access to fresh, nutritious foods and create healthier communities.
La Colombe, meanwhile, is planning a two-phase expansion that will more than double the size of its facility at 6366 Norton Center Drive in Norton Shores.
The tentative plan includes $132 million in new construction and $347 million for new equipment.
The current 40,000-square-foot factory will more than double by an additional 54,821 square feet. Approximately 100 new jobs will be created.
Growing coffee company awards $250,000 to Muskegon County school meals program
