LACKAWANNA, N.Y. — A Western New York sugar plant may soon be getting a sweet deal as a part of a major shift in the U.S. beverage industry.

Last month, Coca-Cola announced plans to roll out cane sugar versions of both Coke and Diet Coke made in the United States, starting this fall. The move came shortly after President Donald Trump posted on social media that he had spoken with the company about switching away from high-fructose corn syrup, calling cane sugar “just better.”

For Sucro’s SweetLife Sugar Refinery in Lackawanna, that announcement could mean a major boost in business.

Opened in 2022, the refinery is one of just a handful cane sugar refineries in the U.S., and by year’s end, it will be the only one in the entire Northeast. It’s also the only certified-organic cane sugar r

See Full Page