Mizkan America plans $156 million Owensboro expansion

Mizkan America plans a $156 million expansion of its food manufacturing facility in Owensboro, Kentucky. The proposed project would add approximately 320,000 square feet and bring total operational space to more than 970,000 square feet. The company expects the investment to create 44 jobs.

The project remains in design. Chief executive Koichi Yuki expects it to proceed to board approval early in 2025. The additional space is intended for machinery and equipment, IT upgrades, building improvements and related assets, supporting the company’s plans to serve current and future customer demand.

Owensboro incentive agreement and planned board approval — Preliminary incentives and expected board approval.

Expansion and employment plans

The proposed investment covers an existing manufacturing location. Its principal announced measures are:

Investment: $156 million.
Additional floor space: approximately 320,000 square feet.
Total space following expansion: more than 970,000 square feet.
Projected new jobs: 44.

Kentucky’s Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved a ten-year Kentucky Business Investment incentive agreement on Jul 25, 2024. The performance-based arrangement could provide up to $950,000 in tax incentives. Its annual targets include creating and maintaining 44 full-time jobs for Kentucky residents over the agreement period, with an average hourly wage exceeding $29 including benefits.

Ohio River landscape in western Kentucky — The Ohio River in western Kentucky.

Performance-based state support

The authority also approved up to $1 million through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act. That programme allows eligible companies to recover state sales and use tax on specified construction, fixtures, research-and-development equipment and electronic processing. The incentives are subject to the relevant programme requirements.

Mizkan America can also obtain support from Kentucky workforce-service providers, including recruitment and job-placement assistance at no cost, customised training at reduced cost and job-training incentives. These support arrangements accompany the proposed expansion; the employment figures remain targets for the project.

The Mizkan brand.

About Mizkan America

Mizkan America is based in Mount Prospect, Illinois, and operates 12 manufacturing facilities serving retail, foodservice, specialty Asian and food-ingredient channels. Its portfolio includes Ragú, Bertolli, Holland House, Nakano and Mizkan, and it distributes Angostura Bitters exclusively in North America. The business belongs to Mizkan Group, headquartered in Handa City, Japan, and privately owned and operated by the eighth and ninth generations of the founding Nakano family.