German yeast upcycler building plant in Rockingham

Leiber, a German manufacturer that processes brewers’ yeast into animal food, biotechnology and supplements, will invest as much as $20 million to establish its first U.S. operation in Rockingham County’s Innovation Village, adding an estimated 35 jobs.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the new facility Monday. It will be completed in phases and increase the company’s processing capability, as well as its range of products. Founded in 1954, Leiber works with breweries to offload yeast for further upcycling, operating five production sites in three countries and supplying products to more than 65 countries. It also conducts research in the company’s laboratories to develop products.

Virginia competed with four other states for the project. Ilya Frumkin, vice president of business development for Leiber US, declined to name the other states; an announcement from Youngkin’s office only said that they are adjacent.  Construction is expected to begin in October, with production beginning in the first quarter of 2025.

“We are thrilled to welcome Leiber’s first U.S. operation to Virginia, again demonstrating that the commonwealth is an ideal launch point for international manufacturers to enter the U.S. market,” Youngkin said in a statement. “The company’s new facility in Rockingham County is in strategic proximity to the Shenandoah Valley’s robust beverage processing industry, and we are confident this new partnership is a recipe for success.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with Rockingham County and the Shenandoah Valley Partnership to secure the project for Virginia and will support Leiber’s job creation through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program, which provides consulting and funding to companies creating jobs to support employee recruitment and training activities.

“We evaluated various sites in five different states in the northeast U.S. and found in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia a perfect mix of qualified workforce, proximity to customers and vendors, as well as strong and professional support from VEDP and Rockingham County,” Christian Stork-Bohmann, director of corporate development at Leiber GmbH in Germany, said in a statement.