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There is the main laboratory, where employees analyze the Aurelius factory's products, checking nutritional specs and keeping an eye out for bacteria. The plant was just awarded a level three Safe Quality Foods certification, the highest possible certification.

There is the physical plant — with its humming, shiny-silver machinery, its computer-controlled systems and bountiful warehouse.

Most of all, Ellis is proud of what the factory produces.

Cayuga Milk Ingredients makes skim milk powder and non-fat dry milk. In addition, the plant makes pasteurized cream, condensed milk, liquid permeate, milk protein concentrate and milk protein isolates. Once packaged, the products are shipped across the world — to customers as far away as Asia, South America and Africa.

And the best part? Most of the milk used to create the products comes from Cayuga County cows.

"It's going worldwide," Ellis said. "It's pretty cool to think there's someone in the Middle East consuming milk products from Cayuga County."

Cayuga Milk Ingredient's ability to serve an international customer base started with Cayuga Marketing, its parent company.

Cayuga Marketing was formed in 1986 by local farmers as a way to fight for higher milk prices while ensuring the production of quality milk. The organization has grown to include 29 member farmers, most from Cayuga County.

In 2008, some of Cayuga Marketing's farmers decided to search for way to reduce their milk hauling costs.

The solution was Cayuga Milk Ingredients — a locally based processing plant that uses milk taken from cows within 30 miles of the factory. Now, instead of having to ship their milk about 100 miles away, local dairy farmers only have to head down the street.

"It increases the sustainability of farmers in this location because they have a local delivery point for their milk," Ellis said.

The organization behind the factory was created by 21 of Cayuga Marketing's members. In November 2012, the factory broke ground. These days, production is running smoothly.

And according to Ellis, that bodes well for Cayuga County's economic future.

The plant, as of Jan. 22, employed 57 people. When hiring is completed, Ellis expects the facility will have 65 employees on its payroll. Ellis said the company pays its employees well — a benefit he believes more residents could use.

"What this community needs is a better tech scene and good-paying jobs," he said.

Cayuga Milk Ingredients operates 24/7 and runs in 12-hour shifts. Employees, most of whom hail from the Cayuga County area, are offered daily training classes that delve into 200 different topics aimed at helping employees become "self-directed."

The plant, located on Eagle Drive, was also built with room to grow.

"We built this with expansion in mind," Ellis said. "We want to grow as we profit. We want to be invested in the plant, which means more jobs, more work for the future."

As Cayuga Milk Ingredients invests in Cayuga County's future, Ellis hopes other companies follow suit.

Ellis pointed to multiple efforts, including the dedication of Cayuga Marketing's dairy farmers and Johnston Paper's expansion efforts, as positive signs.

"All tides raise all boats, right?" he said. "It's a compound effort. You take a look at what we're doing and what Johnston Paper is doing, and it compounds."

And Ellis said Cayuga Milk Ingredients will be present for the Auburn-area's continuing revitalization — the company's sights always fixed on expansion.

"This place won't be here for the next 50 years," he said. "It will always be here."