Mizkan America has announced plans to expand their current facility in Owensboro with a $156 million investment creating 44 new jobs.
Total operational space will increase by approximately 320,000 square feet. Mizkan will make building improvements and add new equipment and machinery, plus IT upgrades.
“This project, which is in its design phase and will move to board approval early next year, would become a transformational project for Mizkan America,” said Koichi Yuki, CEO of Mizkan Ameria Inc.
The Mizkan Group is a privately held, international food manufacturer, headquartered in Handa City, Japan, with a heritage that spans more than 200 years.
The company is an industry-leading producer of pasta sauce and vinegar products, including brands such as Ragú and Bertolli.
“Mizkan is a company that prides itself on top quality products,” said Judge/Executive Charlie Castlen. “To have them select Owensboro/Daviess County for this $156 million investment, and more importantly, the addition of over 40 employees to their global workforce, is a win and shows Mizkan’s long-term commitment to our community. It is a recognition of the quality of employees that our citizens are known to be. I wish Mizkan every success with this expansion and the addition of their new (to us) product line.”
To encourage investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) on Thursday preliminarily approved a 10-year incentive agreement with the company under the Kentucky Business Investment program.
The performance-based agreement can provide up to $950,000 in tax incentives based on the company’s investment of $156 million and annual targets of:
- Creation and maintenance of 44 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs across 10 years; and
- Paying an average hourly wage of more than $29 including benefits across those jobs.
Additionally, KEDFA approved Mizkan America for up to $1 million in tax incentives through the Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act, which allows approved companies to recoup Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures, equipment used in research and development and electronic processing.
For more information on Mizkan America, visit mizkan.com.
