Empire State Development announced the specialty cheese company, which makes fresh ricotta and mozzarella cheese, bought the plant to allow the business to process and package cheese for private labeling and expand the product lines to include a wide variety of cubed and shredded cheeses. Empire State Specialty Cheese will close its plant on Route 62 in Conewango Valley to move to Blockville.

"We welcome the Empire Specialty Cheese Company to Chautauqua County," said Greg Edwards, Chautauqua county executive. "We are especially happy to have them because they are returning a landmark building in the food industry back into a vital manufacturing facility. It will be a place where hundreds of people will be able to find work and a paycheck to bring home to their families."