Gray Breaks Ground on InnovAsian's First U.S. Chicken Processing Facility

Gray Breaks Ground on InnovAsian's First U.S. Chicken Processing Facility

PR Newswire

JONESBORO, Ark., Aug. 13, 2026

JONESBORO, Ark., Aug. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Gray, a nationally recognized construction and engineering firm, recently celebrated the groundbreaking of a new chicken processing facility for InnovAsian.

Owned by Nichirei Corporation, one of Japan's leading food companies, InnovAsian selected Gray to design and build this greenfield facility following years of relationship-building and collaboration. While Nichirei currently operates a rice processing facility in California, this project marks its first investment in U.S. chicken processing and reflects the company's long-term commitment to serving the North American market.

"The strongest partnerships are built over time, and we're honored InnovAsian entrusted Gray with this important milestone," says Brett Goode, Executive Vice President, Food & Beverage Market. "This project reflects years of shared trust and a commitment to understanding our customer's goals. We look forward to helping bring InnovAsian's vision to life and supporting its continued growth."

Gray will deliver the project using its fully integrated design-build approach under one team. Throughout the pursuit process, Gray worked closely with InnovAsian to understand the company's priorities around cost, schedule, and long-term operational goals. Gray's design-build approach to this project helped establish trust with the customer and the confidence to award this project.

The facility represents a significant step in InnovAsian's long-term growth strategy, expanding domestic protein processing capabilities and strengthening supply chain resiliency to support growing demand across retail, foodservice, and prepared foods channels.

"This groundbreaking represents more than the start of construction—it's the result of a strong relationship and a shared commitment to success," says Rebekah Gray, President & CEO, Gray Construction. "We're proud to partner with InnovAsian on this landmark facility and look forward to delivering a project that sets a standard of excellence within the market for decades to come."

"This groundbreaking marks a significant milestone for InnovAsian and Nichirei as we invest in the future of Jonesboro, Arkansas and strengthen our ability to meet growing consumer demand," says Joe Kent, President and CEO of InnovAsian. "This facility will accelerate our future growth with the production of high-quality Asian cuisine while creating meaningful jobs in the community."

More than 100 team members are expected to be on site at peak construction. The project is set to be complete by spring 2028.

About Gray:

Gray is a nationally recognized construction and engineering firm, delivering end-to-end solutions in construction, professional services, equipment fabrication, and real estate. Since 1960, we have grown from a regional contractor to a nationally ranked leader, serving the world's leading companies across the industrial marketplace. As a fully integrated design-builder, Gray brings specialized expertise together under one team helping customers reduce risk, accelerate schedules, and deliver better business outcomes.

For more information on Gray, visit gray.com and follow Gray on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

Media Contact:

Abby Johnson
Vice President, Marketing
606.923.2062
ajohnson@gray.com 
gray.com

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SOURCE Gray Construction