(Photo Credit: Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development/Facebook)
Governor Andy Beshear, together with local officials and executives from Mizkan America, celebrated the groundbreaking of the company’s $156 million expansion project in Owensboro on Monday.
This initiative, by the industry-leading producer of pasta sauces and vinegars, is expected to generate 44 new quality jobs in Kentucky.
According to the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, the project involves expanding Mizkan’s Owensboro facilities by approximately 320,000 square feet, increasing the company’s operational space to nearly 1 million square feet. It’s reported this investment is expected to fund building improvements, new machinery and, IT upgrades, a new manufacturing line, and additional warehousing space, enabling the Owensboro plant to produce Holland House cooking wine, Mizkan Asian sauces and vinegars, and Nakano rice vinegar for the first time.
State officials said Mizkan Group, a privately held international food manufacturer based in Handa, Japan, is women-owned and -operated by members of the eighth and ninth generations of the founding Nakano family. Mizkan Group is reportedly a leader in the liquid condiment category, offering renowned brands and maintaining major operations in Japan, the U.S., and the U.K.
Mizkan America operates 12 manufacturing facilities catering to retail, food service, specialty Asian, and food ingredient trade channels. Its brands include Ragú, Bertolli, Holland House, Nakano, and Mizkan. Additionally, the company is the exclusive distributor of Angostura bitters in North America.
