InnovAsian Cuisine Enterprises, a subsidiary of Nichirei Foods, will build a frozen food manufacturing facility in Jonesboro, Ark. This development will create approximately 200 new jobs.

Found in grocery freezer aisles nationwide, InnovAsian brings popular Asian dishes to the consumers' tables with restaurant-inspired flavors, from multiserve entrees to rice, sides, appetizers and single-serve meals. The new facility will significantly increase production capacity for its high-growth multiserve entree line, supporting the company’s continued growth in the US market.

“This is a major step forward for Nichirei’s global growth strategy in the North American market,” said Joe Kent, president and CEO of InnovAsian. “Our new Jonesboro facility will allow us to meet growing demand for high-quality Asian cuisine while creating meaningful jobs in the community. It has been a pleasure to work with Jonesboro Unlimited, the Governor of Arkansas, and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and we look forward to delivering innovation and flavor to more families across America.”

The 175,000-square-foot facility will be located in Craighead Technology Park, a 2,100-acre industrial park in Jonesboro. InnovAsian chose Arkansas after a competitive multistate search, citing speed-to-market, a skilled workforce and strong local and state support as key factors. Nichirei will make a capital contribution of approximately $105 million to InnovAsian in 2026 to initiate the project.

“Arkansas is proud to be a state where farm products are turned into value-added food for tables across America,” said Gov. Sanders. “With approximately 200 new jobs coming to Jonesboro, this investment strengthens our economy and expands opportunity in Northeast Arkansas, while creating another market for Arkansas’ number one industry, agriculture.

Arkansas Department of Commerce and AEDC leaders met with Nichirei Foods executives in Tokyo in 2025 to showcase Arkansas’ business climate and help secure the project.

“Arkansas is excited to welcome InnovAsian to Jonesboro with its new frozen food manufacturing facility,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. “InnovAsian is a leading frozen food company, and this project is a perfect fit for Jonesboro. We congratulate InnovAsian and Nichirei Foods on their growth, as well as the community of Jonesboro on this big economic development win.”

“Jonesboro has a long history of supporting food manufacturing, and we are excited that InnovAsian has seen our competitive advantages and decided to be a part of our community,” said Mark Young, president of Jonesboro Unlimited.

Source: InnovAsian Cuisine Enterprises Inc.