Riviana Foods Inc. announced its investment of $80.6 million to expand and renovate its state-of-the-art processing and packaging plant in Memphis, Tennessee. The investment will significantly increase Riviana's production capacity for its ready to serve cup and pouch products and add approximately 80 new full-time jobs.
The investment will add approximately 65,000 square feet to the plant and include a renovation of approximately 20,000 square feet, which will increase the plant's current production capacity for its Minute® rice microwaveable cups and introduce new production capacity for ready to serve pouches lines of its Tilda®, Carolina® and Mahatma® rice brands.
"We will be in a stronger position to meet or exceed customer needs of looking for simpler, better and more nutritional food options," said Enrique Zaragoza, President and CEO of Riviana. "And, we look forward to many more years of our successful partnership between Riviana and the Memphis community with this investment."
It is the seventh expansion project at the facility since it opened in 2006. Most recently, in April 2021, Riviana invested $15 million to upgrade production and expand instant rice capacity. Demolition and construction work is expected to begin during the first quarter 2023 with new production capacity utilization starting in the first quarter 2024.
The expansion and renovation project will be supported by an 11-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) incentive awarded by the Economic Development Growth Engine Industrial Development Board of the City of Memphis and County of Shelby, Tennessee. Riviana wants to thank the EDGE Board and the many other people and organizations that have provided guidance and/or financial support for this investment: The Honorable Jim Strickland, Mayor of the City of Memphis; The Honorable Lee Harris, Mayor of Shelby County; The Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce; State of Tennessee Office of Economic and Community Development; Workforce Mid-South; Memphis Light, Gas and Water; and The Tennessee Valley Authority Office of Regional Economic Development.