Key Takeaways
- Oxbo has opened a $60.5 million, 200,000 square-foot facility at Apple Tree Acres Corporate Park in Bergen, Genesee County, consolidating production and U.S. headquarters functions on a single purpose-built campus.
- The site produces advanced harvesters for seed corn, sweet corn, green beans and peas, and features an outdoor test track, product showroom, expanded laser and machining capabilities and a new powder coating line.
- Oxbo has committed to creating up to 78 new jobs; Empire State Development is providing up to $2.5 million through the performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program tied to those commitments.
- A $1.26 million FAST NY grant awarded in October 2024 funded electrical substation and distribution upgrades at Apple Tree Acres, unlocking an additional 47 shovel-ready acres for future manufacturing tenants.
- The Bergen facility replaces Oxbo's former Byron, NY operation, representing a full relocation and capacity upgrade for its North American division.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul marked the grand opening of Oxbo's new farming equipment manufacturing facility in the Town of Bergen, Genesee County — a $60.5 million, 200,000 square-foot complex that will serve as the Netherlands-headquartered company's U.S. base and primary production center for advanced harvesters targeting high-value crops.
A Purpose-Built Home for North American Operations
Oxbo, founded more than 60 years ago and headquartered in the Netherlands, designs and manufactures harvesting equipment, manure spreaders and vegetable harvesters for agribusiness customers across global markets. The Bergen facility replaces the company's previous operation in Byron, NY, consolidating production and corporate functions into a single campus for the first time. Beyond the United States, the company maintains operations in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France and Brazil, along with global sales, service and parts support locations.
Joe Perzia, Oxbo High Value Crop Division President, said: “This new facility marks an important milestone for Oxbo. By transitioning operations from our former Byron, NY facility into a purpose-built, highly efficient facility in Bergen, NY we are able to provide more innovative, high-quality products and even stronger support to our customers. We are proud to be part of the Bergen community and excited about what lies ahead.”
Oxbo's Bergen Facility: Capabilities and Features
The 200,000 square-foot site is designed as a full-cycle production and customer engagement center. It houses expanded laser cutting and machining capabilities alongside a weld shop fitted with a new ventilation system and an added powder coating line. A product showroom and outdoor test track allow customers, dealers and employees to carry out hands-on demonstrations, technical training and equipment testing on-site.
Primary output centers on harvesters for seed corn, sweet corn, green beans and peas — a segment classified as high-value crops in the U.S. agricultural market and one in which precision harvesting equipment commands significant margins.
New York State Support and the FAST NY Program
Empire State Development (ESD) is providing up to $2.5 million through the Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program, a performance-based instrument tied directly to Oxbo's commitment to create up to 78 jobs at the Bergen site. Genesee County, the Town and Village of Bergen and Greater Rochester Enterprise provided additional local support.
The project also drew on a $1.26 million FAST NY grant awarded to Apple Tree Acres Corporate Park in October 2024. The funds supported electrical substation and distribution line upgrades to handle anticipated load growth, while preparing an additional 47 acres within the park for future manufacturing users.
Governor Hochul said: “Supporting projects that fuel the agricultural industry is essential to New York's economic future and we will continue to make investments that move this crucial service forward. Oxbo's commitment is helping us to cultivate those opportunities, ensuring that New York remains an agricultural leader for generations to come.”
ESD President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said: “Oxbo's decision to open its new U.S. headquarters in Genesee County represents the importance of our public-private partnerships in creating jobs and generating new economic growth, and their impact in building a stronger New York.”
FAST NY, first announced in February 2022 with an initial $200 million commitment, has since grown to $400 million across subsequent state budgets. Companies that have located or expanded in New York under the program — including FairLife, Chobani, Edwards Vacuum and Siemens Mobility — represent a combined private investment of over $2.2 billion and nearly 3,000 jobs statewide.
Oxbo and the Regional Economic Picture
Matt Hurlbutt, President and CEO of Greater Rochester Enterprise, said: “Oxbo's commitment reinforces this region's reputation as a hub for advanced manufacturing, agriculture, food and beverage manufacturing. Greater Rochester Enterprise provided Oxbo with comparative demographic, wage and workforce data insights that helped confirm Greater Rochester as the right location for its expansion.”
New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball noted that the state ranks in the top 10 nationally in more than 30 agricultural commodities, describing the investment as consistent with the state's standing as a leading agricultural producer and equipment manufacturer.
