Morinaga America Foods opens new $136 million Hi-Chew factory in North Carolina

Morinaga America Foods, Inc., held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newest candy factory in Orange County, North Carolina on April 21. The candy company expects to spend $136 million and hire 204 to make its Hi-Chew brand candy at the site.

The new investment follows an October 2025 state delegation where North Carolina leadership met Morinaga America Foods, Inc. leadership in Tokyo, Japan. In a state release accompanying the ribbon-cutting, the governor’s office noted 250 Japanese companies employ more than 36,000 employees in the state and have invested about $20 billion.

What people are saying

"The opening of this new facility marks an exciting new chapter for our company, especially as HI-CHEW^® brand fans continue to grow across the United States," said Teruhiro Kawabe (Terry), Chief Representative for the USA & President, CEO of Morinaga America, Inc. "This expansion will allow HI-CHEW^® to scale its operations while creating a bigger opportunity for our Research & Development team to experiment with new crave-worthy flavors. We're proud to continue investing in the Mebane community and work together to create a future filled with more fun, flavorful HI-CHEW^® moments."

“North Carolina’s competitive edge is its people, and our strong manufacturing workforce continues to attract investment from companies from around the world,” said Governor Josh Stein. “We’re grateful for our deep partnership with Japan and look forward to supporting Morinaga's ongoing success story in Orange County.”

“Morinaga’s continued investment in Orange County is a strong endorsement of North Carolina’s manufacturing workforce and our ability to support global companies as they grow in the United States,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “We’ve built the talent, infrastructure, and partnerships that help companies succeed here, and we’re proud to see that success continue to grow in Mebane.”

Manufacturers investing in South Carolina

Suniva, Inc. to open new South Carolina solar cell factory
The $350 million plant is expected to create 564 new jobs.

Signature Foods USA to build new $11.5 million food factory in South Carolina
The Netherlands-owned company will build its first U.S. prepared foods factory in Easley, South Carolina.

TSEA Energy to build new voltage regulator factory in North Carolina
The $25 million plant is expected to create 160 jobs.