Morinaga, the holding company of Morinaga America, announces its second North American manufacturing facility in Mebane, North Carolina. The company will invest over $130 million to construct the new facility, which will support increased production for the beloved HI-CHEW brand, the immensely fruity, intensely chewy candy.
With this additional production pipeline, the company will be able to meet the growing demand for HI-CHEW products across all U.S. distribution channels. The new factory is slated to start construction in October 2024 and will be operational in January 2027. With the addition of this secondary factory, Morinaga America Foods, Inc. is creating over 200 career opportunities for the Orange County, North Carolina community with various positions across production, quality assurance, maintenance and support staff.
"HI-CHEW has been steadfast in growing its market share in the U.S. non-chocolate candy category and has achieved 20% year-over-year growth since 2018," said Teruhiro Kawabe (Terry), chief representative for the USA and president, chief executive officer of Morinaga America. "With this tremendous brand growth year over year, we are eager to maximize our production output to continue providing new, innovative HI-CHEW products to consumers and brand fans nationwide."
The existing North Carolina factory, which began operations in 2015, manufactures the majority of HI-CHEW flavors for North American distribution, with over two billion pieces of HI-CHEW produced yearly. With the addition of the new 132,633 sq. foot factory, the company will be able to produce hundreds of tons of HI-CHEW candies every year to satisfy dedicated brand fans and consumers alike.
HI-CHEW continues to grow steadily among U.S. consumers as a fan favorite due to its unique and wide-ranging flavor offerings, including various packaging formats and new textures. With over 50 flavors available in the U.S., the brand is passionate about product innovation and catering new flavor profiles to the American palate.
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