A subsidiary of South Korean conglomerate CJ Group is investing around $47m in a new bakery and food processing facility in the US state of Georgia.
CJ Foodville is constructing the factory in Gainesville, a project that will create an estimated 285 jobs. The plant is expected to be completed in 2025. At full capacity, it will produce more than 19,000 tonnes of products a year.
"Based on our strong profitability, we have decided to establish a factory in the US to enhance our production and supply capabilities in response to the expanding scale of the Tous les Jours [bakery] business," Tony Hunsoo Ahn, the CEO of the US operation of CJ Foodville, said in a statement.
"Our ultimate goal is to establish the Tous les Jours brand as a globally cherished bakery brand that transcends borders and captivates palates worldwide."
CJ Foodville is foodservice and food processing company. It entered the US market in 2004 with its Tous les Jours bakery brand, which currently has four storefronts in Georgia.
The Tous les Jours brand was founded in South Korea in 1997 and has more than 1,650 stores worldwide.
CJ Foodville anticipates that the brand will have 120 stores in the US by the end of this year and a 1,000 by 2030.
Parent company CJ CheilJedang announced a manufacturing contract in June to serve the Australian market.
The tie-up with an unnamed local manufacturer was supplying Woolworths, Australia’s largest food retailer.
