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.

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.

“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.