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Construction of New Kikkoman Jefferson, Wisconsin, Plant Under Way

June 13, 2024

Soy sauce processor will invest more than $800 million on this new facility and expansions at Walworth, Wis., plant to increase its production footprint in the state.

Andy Hanacek

Soy sauce manufacturer Kikkoman hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for a major new production facility in Jefferson, Wis., this week — the company’s second facility in southern Wisconsin.

The new facility represents the company’s latest investment in a state it has called home since 1973, when it opened a soy sauce production facility in Walworth — a plant that it said has become the highest-producing soy sauce facility in the western world.

The Jefferson facility represents an investment of at least $800 million for Kikkoman — though that pricetag will include expansion initiatives at the Walworth plant as well, the company said. Jefferson was chosen from among 64 Midwest locations for the new plant. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. will award up to $15.5 million in performance-based tax credits to assist the company with the project.

The facility will span some 240,000 sq. ft and will create more than 80 jobs over 12 years, the release noted. It will be highly automated, with cutting-edge mobile technology, designed for flexibility, speed, efficiency and scalability. It also will be built with environmentally friendly innovations and initiatives in mind.

Kikkoman said the new plant will produce soy sauce and related seasonings, including teriyaki sauce, once operational. It expects the first shipments to be made Fall 2026.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.