06.18.10
Yakult U.S.A. Inc., Torrance, CA, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., has selected Fountain Valley, CA, as the location of its first U.S. factory. With operations set to start in 2012, the facility will produce 250,000 bottles per day of the company’s signature probiotic drink Yakult and serve the current sales territories—mainly California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Colorado and New Mexico—where it is available through most major retailers. The new factory will poise the company for expansion into new regions.
“We are looking forward to the completion of the Yakult California Factory since it will allow us to provide our product to more and more people across the country,” said Teruo Tabuchi, executive vice president and COO. “In the heart of Orange County, Fountain Valley is ideal because it is in close proximity to Los Angeles, which is our biggest market now.”
Yakult’s probiotic drink was first introduced to the U.S. general market in late 2007 and has experienced steady growth. In 2009 an average of 90,000 bottles of Yakult were being consumed on a daily basis, a growth rate of 41% compared to the prior year. Last month alone, U.S. consumers drank 110,000 bottles daily.
The new factory will sit on 387,000 square-feet of land and have a maximum production capacity of 760,000 bottles per day. The company will continue to import the beverage from Guadalajara, Mexico, the closest plant to U.S. borders, until the factory opens.
“We are looking forward to the completion of the Yakult California Factory since it will allow us to provide our product to more and more people across the country,” said Teruo Tabuchi, executive vice president and COO. “In the heart of Orange County, Fountain Valley is ideal because it is in close proximity to Los Angeles, which is our biggest market now.”
Yakult’s probiotic drink was first introduced to the U.S. general market in late 2007 and has experienced steady growth. In 2009 an average of 90,000 bottles of Yakult were being consumed on a daily basis, a growth rate of 41% compared to the prior year. Last month alone, U.S. consumers drank 110,000 bottles daily.
The new factory will sit on 387,000 square-feet of land and have a maximum production capacity of 760,000 bottles per day. The company will continue to import the beverage from Guadalajara, Mexico, the closest plant to U.S. borders, until the factory opens.