Japan’s Nichirei Foods is set to build a frozen food manufacturing facility in Arkansas which will increase its production capacity in the US.
The new 175,000 square-feet plant will be built by the group’s US subsidiary, InnovAsian Cuisine Enterprises, at Craighead Technology Park, a 2,100-acre industrial site in the city of Jonesboro.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
A statement from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) yesterday (3 February) confirmed the news, noting that Nichirei will hand a $105m sum to InnovAsian in 2026 to commence the project.
The new facility is expected to create around 200 jobs and is intended to increase production capacity for InnovAsian’s multi-serve entrée line.
InnovAsian president and CEO Joe Kent said: “This new facility investment underscores InnovAsian’s commitment to growth and is a pivotal moment in the evolution of the brand.
“This is a major step forward for Nichirei’s global growth strategy in the North American market.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalData“Our new Jonesboro facility will allow us to meet growing demand for high-quality Asian cuisine while creating meaningful jobs in the community.”
InnovAsian sells frozen Asian meals in the US. Its range includes multi-serve entrées as well as rice, sides, appetisers and single-serve items.
Nichirei Foods, the processed foods arm of Nichirei Corp., bought InnovAsian outright in 2012 for $11m.
According to Nichirei’s website, its processed foods unit has 21 subsidiaries and four affiliate companies.
