InnovAsian Cuisine officially broke ground Tuesday on a frozen food manufacturing facility in Jonesboro. This $150 million-plus development is expected to create approximately 200 new jobs.
InnovAsian is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Nichirei Foods. The 180,000-square-foot Jonesboro facility will be located in Craighead Technology Park. InnovAsian chose Arkansas after a competitive multi-state search, citing speed-to-market, a skilled workforce, efficient logistics and strong local and state support as key factors, according to a press release. The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Mayor Harold Copenhaver, local civic leaders, state economic development officials and InnovAsian and Nichirei Foods executive leadership.
“Today marks a significant milestone for InnovAsian and Nichirei as we invest in the future of Jonesboro, Arkansas and strengthen our ability to meet growing consumer demand,” said Joe Kent, president and CEO of InnovAsian. “This facility will accelerate our future growth with the production of high-quality Asian cuisine while creating meaningful jobs in the community.”
Construction is slated to be completed by the end of 2027, with production officially launching in early 2028.
“Breaking ground today is a major milestone for InnovAsian and brings them closer to creating hundreds of new jobs for Arkansans,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “We thank InnovAsian and Nichirei Foods for their investment in our state and in the city of Jonesboro, which further solidifies the region as a food manufacturing hub.”
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