David Brown

When your competitors wake up, when growth hits a wall, and when staying ahead means going beyond the confines of your original brand.

But that's all to come for Ulukaya.

Right now, it's 2005, and he's facing a problem that could snuff Chobani out before it even gets started.

Getting hold of the factory that his creamy dreams will be built on, when he can't afford to buy it, and no one thinks he should.

This is Episode 1, Nothing But Good.

It's January 2005, and Hamdi Ulukaya is driving through the leafy back roads of upstate New York.

He's just visited the former Kraft Yogurt factory in New Berlin, and he hasn't been able to sit still since.

He really, really wants this factory.

He pulls over, grabs his phone, and calls the one person he trusts for business advice, his attorney, Mario Papa.

Hi, Hamdi, what's up?

Ulukaya can barely contain himself.

His words tumble out in a rush.

Factory, New Berlin, Kraft, yogurt, $700,000.

Whoa, slow down.

Breathe, Hamdi.

Come on, breathe.

Ulukaya catches his breath and lays it all out.

His visit to the factory, how Kraft wants to offload it, that it's fully equipped, on sale at a bargain price, and he wants to buy it.

But Papa's not sold.

Handy, you don't have $700,000.