A $390 million clean manufacturing project is coming to Rochester, promising new jobs and a major push toward keeping clothes out of landfills.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced that French company Reju will build its first North American textile regeneration hub at Eastman Business Park, turning discarded textiles into reusable materials and bringing about 70 new jobs to the site.
The project will rise on an 18.9-acre vacant lot and marks a major investment in Monroe County’s growing green economy. Reju expects the facility to be operational by the end of 2029.
Turning waste into new textiles
Reju focuses on regenerating polyester textiles and post-consumer plastic waste that would otherwise end up in landfills. At full capacity, the Rochester facility is expected to regenerate the equivalent of 300 million articles each year.
The company plans to build a 145,000-square-foot facility after site remediation. It will use proprietary technology developed with IBM Research to produce Reju Polyester, a regenerated material with a 50 percent lower carbon footprint than virgin polyester.
“New York State is committed to creating good paying jobs, and supporting innovative projects and companies that are working to keep materials out of landfills and protecting our planet,” Hochul said. “Reju’s ambitious project will create approximately 70 new jobs at Eastman Business Park, and will show how smart investments can turn waste into opportunity.”
Jobs and public support
The project is expected to create engineering, technician, machinist, and production jobs. Empire State Development is supporting the effort with a $4 million capital grant and up to $1 million through the Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program, tied to job creation.
Reju is owned by Technip Energies and currently operates a pilot facility in Frankfurt, Germany. The company announced plans for its first full-scale European site in the Netherlands in 2025.
Reju CEO Patrik Frisk called the Rochester site a major step forward.
“As our first Regeneration hub in the United States, this site selection in Rochester, New York is a major leap forward in building a truly global circular system,” Frisk said.
Local leaders welcome investment
State and local leaders praised the project for strengthening the region’s economy while supporting sustainability goals.
Empire State Development President Hope Knight said Reju’s move reflects the state’s push toward a circular economy that reduces pollution and keeps materials out of landfills.
Rochester Mayor Malik D. Evans said the project will create good-paying jobs and boost Eastman Business Park’s growth as an international employment center.
Eastman Business Park, once home to Kodak’s film and paper manufacturing, now supports more than 100 companies and over 6,000 jobs. Leaders say Reju’s arrival adds to the site’s ongoing transformation.
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