French materials recycling company Reju, led by former Under Armour CEO Patrik Frisk, plans to open its first U.S.-based industrial facility in Rochester, NY, aiming to regenerate 300 million articles annually.
The plans were unveiled by the office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul. The facility will receive support from a state grant and tax credits.
The $390 million textile regeneration hub will be located on an 18.9-acre vacant lot at Eastman Business Park in the City of Rochester. Following remediation of the site, Reju plans to construct a 145,000-square-foot facility where it will use proprietary technology developed with IBM Research to regenerate textile waste, starting with polyester, into its Reju Polyester, which has a reported “50 percent lower carbon footprint than virgin polyester and is engineered to be recyclable multiple times, reducing the industry’s reliance on fossil-based inputs.”
The Rochester plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2029 and support 70 jobs.
Reju partners with global brands, mills, and waste aggregators to prevent garments from being sent to landfills or incinerated, turning them into yarns and fabrics for consumer use. The company is owned by Technip Energies, an engineering and technology company with over 17,000 employees working in 34 countries. Reju has been operating a pilot facility in Frankfurt, Germany, since October 2024, and in May 2025, the company announced the selection of a site for its first full-scale operation in Europe, in the Netherlands.
Reju CEO Patrik Frisk said, “As our first Regeneration hub in the United States, this site selection in Rochester, NY is a major leap forward in building a truly global circular system. We are proud to bring Reju’s sustainable manufacturing and jobs to the Rochester community. Reju is investing in a future where post-consumer textile waste becomes a resource, not a liability. It’s a signal to the market that circularity at scale is possible and now is the time to ensure the momentum continues to build.”
Empire State Development is working with Reju on the project through a $4 million capital grant and is offering up to $1 million in the performance-based Excelsior Jobs Tax Credit Program in exchange for job-creation commitments. Monroe County, the City of Rochester and Greater Rochester Enterprise are also assisting with the project.
Reju’s plans to build on other steps taken by Governor Hochul to improve textile industry sustainability and recycling.
In October of 2022, the Governor signed a law aimed at supporting and expanding the state’s plant and animal fiber textile manufacturing industry, promoting the use of locally sourced materials to reduce environmental impact and strengthen the local supply chain. New York also announced $10 million in state funding for the Fashion Innovation Center (FIC), which is managed by a consortium of universities, businesses and non-profits, focused on the research and development of sustainable textiles and new recycling technologies. In 2023, the State Department of Environmental Conservation also announced a plan that prioritizes a circular economy, aiming to minimize waste and keep materials in use.
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, further supporting our state’s overall green economy efforts and creating a brighter future for everyone.”
Empire State Development President, Commissioner and CEO Hope Knight said, “As we continue to pivot away from the single-use, disposable model, we are supporting new ideas that reduce overall pollution and keep resources out of landfills, while boosting sustainability and generating new economic growth.”