Palmetto Gourmet Foods, Inc. (Palmetto Gourmet Foods), a producer of innovative, sustainable ramen noodles, has announced plans to expand its operations in Saluda County.
The company is continuing its growth by investing $11.6 million and creating 73 new jobs to add to the approximately 200 positions that it has already created.
Founded in 2019 and headquartered at 782 Columbia Highway in Saluda County, Palmetto Gourmet Foods is the innovator and producer of the world’s first high protein organic ramen noodle, sold under the Chef Woo brand and the popular Ramen Express brand. Both products are available nationwide in over 11,000 stores, including major retailers such as Walmart and Costco. These products are also being exported coast-to-coast in Canada, with growing international demand.
With a focus on sustainability, the company strives to partner with local and environmentally friendly suppliers and use recyclable packaging. With its Chef Woo product, Palmetto Gourmet Foods has created an affordable, convenient, shelf-stable and planet-friendly instant protein meal that can help in the fight against protein malnutrition both domestically and on a world scale.
The expansion is expected to be complete in the fourth quarter of 2022. Individuals interested in joining the Palmetto Gourmet Foods team should visit the company’s careers page.
“We are thrilled to be in South Carolina and part of a community that has been involved in farming and food production for generations,” said Palmetto Gourmet Foods, Inc. CEO Dr. Reza Soltanzadeh. “True to our core values, we take pride in developing and mass producing affordable, quality food – particularly now – at a time when food inflation is the cause of distress in so many families nationwide. In addition to our investment of $45 million to date, we are undertaking a further investment of $11.6 million to meet the growing demand for our products.”
The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved job development credits related to this project. The council has also awarded a $300,000 Set-Aside grant to Saluda County to assist with the cost of building renovations.