New business expected to bring more than 600 jobs to Sioux Falls

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Governor Kristi Noem announced Monday that CJ Foods will be opening a 700,000-square-foot Asian food production facility in Sioux Falls, expected to be a several hundred million dollar investment.

Foundation Park is the planned location for the facility, which will include automated food production lines, a warehouse, a distribution center, shipping and receiving docks, and an office space. More than 600 full-time jobs will be created by 2025.

“This strategically important new investment represents an extremely exciting time for both CJ Foods and Schwan’s Company,” said Executive Chairman of CJCJ Food, Americas and Schwan’s Company CEO Dimitrios Smyrnios.  “Adding this world-class Asian food plant in South Dakota will help us lead the fast-growing Asian food category in North America and achieve our long-term growth plans. Ultimately, this plant will meet the increasing needs of our retail and food-service customers by creating significant production capacity, fueling Asian food category growth, and enabling future innovation.”

Workers will produce a broad-range of Asian-style meals, sides, snacks, and appetizers. The foods made at the production site will be distributed by CJ Foods and Schwan’s Company. The two companies offer several Asian-style brands in both the food-service and retail sectors, including Bibigo®, Pagoda®, Kahiki®, Minh® and Annie Chun’s® products. Asian food is a 38-billion-dollar industry in the United States alone.

Leaders from both companies worked with state and local public agencies and officials, including Governor Noem, Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken, Governor’s Office of Economic Development Commissioner Steve Westra, and Sioux Falls Development Foundation CEO and President Bob Mundt.

“South Dakota is open for business, and we’re excited for this tremendous investment in our state. The Sioux Falls community will benefit greatly from the new full-time jobs that this facility will provide,” said Governor Noem. “I want to thank Dimitrios and everyone at CJ Foods and Schwan’s who worked with us to make this happen.”

More details about the specific products and brands that will be made at the facility, as well as renderings and more specific construction timelines, are expected to be shared at a ground-breaking event at the Sioux Falls site in the spring. Event attendees will include CJ Foods and Schwan’s Company leaders, as well as South Dakota public officials.