A French textile regeneration company is planning to establish its first North American hub at Eastman Business Park in Rochester.
The company, Reju, has plans to build a 145,000-square-foot facility on a nearly 19-acre lot that is currently vacant.
According to a statement from Gov. Kathy Hochul, the firm intends to create about 70 new jobs at the site, including engineers, technicians, and machinists.
Reju uses discarded clothing otherwise headed to a landfill to create its own polyester brand. The company said the new material is engineered to be recycled multiple times and has a 50% lower carbon footprint than virgin polyester.
CEO Patrik Frisk said in a statement that the site selection in Rochester is a major leap forward in building a truly global circular system.
“Reju is investing in a future where post-consumer textile waste becomes a resource, not a liability,” he added.
Reju is owned by Technip Energies, which has a presence in 34 countries, including a pilot facility in Frankfurt, Germany.
The company expects its Rochester plant to be operational by late 2029.
Empire State Development is offering a $4 million capital investment to the project and $1 million in tax credits for the promised jobs.
Hochul said the project is an example of “how smart investments can turn waste into opportunity, further supporting our state’s overall green economy efforts.”
