JEFFERSON, Wis. — Kikkoman Foods Inc., a unit of the 350-year-old Japanese soy brand, has opened a new production facility in Jefferson, Wisconsin, its third U.S. manufacturing plant, as the company expands production of soy sauce and other sauces and seasonings for the North American market.
The 240,000-square-foot facility began shipping products in fall 2026. It will produce Kikkoman soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and other seasonings for retail, foodservice and food manufacturing customers.
The plant joins Kikkoman Foods’ existing facilities in Walworth, Wisconsin, and Folsom, California. The company said the Jefferson facility represents an investment of approximately $560 million over 10 years.
The plant is designed to produce multiple products and packaging formats, including glass, BPA-free plastic, industrial and bulk sizes. It also uses digital manufacturing systems for paperless operations, real-time data visualization and product traceability.
Kikkoman Foods said the new facility and its Walworth operations account for more than 80 jobs in southeastern Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation has committed up to $15.5 million in performance-based tax credits tied to job creation and capital investment.
The company said its North American soy sauce business has grown at an average annual rate of more than 6% over the past decade. In the United States, Kikkoman has held the leading share of the soy sauce market for more than a decade, according to the company.
“Kikkoman has been a valued partner in Wisconsin for more than fifty years,” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said in a press release.
Yuzaburo Mogi, director chairman of the board and honorary CEO of Kikkoman Foods, said in the press release that Wisconsin has been central to the company’s U.S. manufacturing operations.
Kikkoman Foods has produced traditionally brewed soy sauce and related seasonings in the United States since 1973. Headquartered in Walworth, the company serves retail, foodservice and industrial customers throughout North America.
Kikkoman Corporation traces its origins to a brewery established more than 350 years ago in Noda, Japan. The company has developed from a Japanese soy sauce producer into a global food company whose products include soy sauces, teriyaki sauces, seasonings and related products.
The Jefferson plant is located within the city’s planned Food & Beverage Innovation Campus.
The grand opening included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, traditional taiko drumming, a performance by the Jefferson High School Show Choir and a live shodo calligraphy demonstration. Among the officials attending were Evers, Community Board Chair Steve Nass, Jefferson Mayor Dale Oppermann, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation CEO John Miller and COO Sam Rikkers.
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