Morinaga America, Inc. to Open U.S. Production Facility

Posted on September 3, 2013

Morinaga America, Inc. to Begin Production in the U.S.

Irvine, CA (September 3, 2013) – Morinaga America, Inc. is pleased to announce plans for the opening of a production facility in Orange County, North Carolina.

The 20-acre facility will be the first of its kind on U.S. soil for Morinaga America, Inc. which is the sole marketing and distribution channel for HI-CHEW™ Fruit Chews in the United States.

“We are so excited announce that we will be beginning operations in North Carolina. It is a testament to the strength of our brand that after a few short years in the United States we were able to move forward with this endeavor. I am confident that our company will only be strengthened more by the new relationship between Morinaga-America, and Orange County, North Carolina.”
-Masao Hoshino, Chief Executive Officer

Currently HI-CHEW™ is produced in Taiwan and imported to the United States, but it has seen an explosion in popularity in recent years, leading to the decision to begin production in the United States.

“With the recent growth of HI-CHEW™, beginning production in the United States made sense for us from a logistical standpoint. We are proud to say that HI-CHEW™ will soon be “Made in the USA”.
-Terry Kawabe, Chief Operating Officer

The facility is slated to begin operation in the middle of 2015.