Morinaga America Foods have just announced plans to invest over $136 million in North Carolina and create over 200 new jobs. The Japanese company chose North Carolina for its first manufacturing site outside Asia.
The Mebane, NC produces the popular fruity candy HI-CHEW. Due to high demand, Morinaga will add manufacturing space and production lines. A performance-based grant of $100,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help facilitate the expansion, contingent on a company capital investment of $115.4 million, the creation of 40 jobs, and local government support.
“North Carolina continues to attract large investments from companies in Japan because we offer the advantages they look for,” said Governor Cooper in a press release. “It was great to visit with Morinaga’s leadership when I was in Japan and it’s clear that the relationships we’ve made along with our great workforce, infrastructure and quality of life continue to bring good jobs to our state.”
Governor Cooper recently hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to strengthen ties and celebrate Japanese business investments in the state. The SEUS/Japan Conference in October will further showcase North Carolina’s economy and foster greater connections.
New positions at Morinaga will include production, quality assurance, maintenance, and support staff. The average annual salary for these 40 positions is $67,075, potentially creating an annual payroll impact of over $2.6 million. Orange County’s overall average annual wage is $66,979.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce, Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, and local government partners are supporting this expansion.
