NEW BERLIN – Hamdi Ulukaya, founder, CEO, and Chairperson of Chobani, was featured on CBS’ 60 Minutes on Sunday night.

Ulukaya, who came to the United States from Turkey 23 years ago on a student visa, shared his personal story and commented on his acceptance of hiring both local residents and refugees to work at Chobani.

He said that when he came to the Unites States, he did not speak any English and had no friends nor family with him.

Ulukaya settled in upstate New York, where he finished his studies and then worked on a dairy farm before starting up a feta cheese business. It was then when he spotted an ad for a fully equipped yogurt plant – the prior Kraft plant – for sale.

He was able to secure a loan, and started up Chobani – which means Shepherd – and hired his first five employees. Four of those first employees had been let go by Kraft, according to the episode.

Two years later, they had a product and a way to produce it. Today, Chobani is the number one Greek Yogurt manufacturer in America.