Fuji Food Products, a fresh food manufacturing division of Meruelo Group and the largest provider and distributor of pre-packaged sushi in the U.S., is opening a new manufacturing facility in South Elgin, Illinois, near Chicago. Set to be fully operational in December, the 40,000-s.f. plant located on Schneider Drive will produce and specialize in fresh, refrigerated and ready-to-eat meals. It will serve the Midwest as well as the rest of the nation.
“Growth and momentum at Fuji has been consistent and continues,” said Joe Marchica, CEO of Fuji Food Products. “We’ve come a long way, beginning as a family business that produced only sushi to regional supermarkets in Southern California, to expanding our business expertise as a fresh food manufacturer serving major supermarket and club chains on a national level. This will be our third owned facility to provide national distribution of our fresh, healthy, organic single-serve and family-size ready-to-eat meals.”
Added Humberto Villagomez, COO of Fuji Food Products, “For more than 20 years, Fuji has been providing USDA- and FDA-approved food service and retail solutions for the changing palate, dietary demands and convenience needs of today’s customers. This expansion of our footprint in the Midwest is a testament to Fuji’s continued commitment to providing quality product and service.”
Tom Bulowski, VP of sales for Fuji Food Products, said, “We look forward to serving the greater Midwest region. We hope to continue our growth into the future together with the state of Illinois and the community of South Elgin.”
Fuji Foods was founded in 1990 with headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, California. In April 2011, the company acquired Okami Inc., a manufacturer of prepackaged sushi and premium gourmet ethnic meals, becoming the largest U.S. provider and distributor of pre-packaged sushi. The company’s product line ranges from green, grain and noodle salads, fresh seafood salads, sushi, vegetarian burgers and fresh, organic grab-and-go bowls.
Fuji Food Products currently services more than 6,000 stores across the U.S.
