Gray Builds Japanese Customer's First U.S. East Coast Facility.

Yakult USA, a subsidiary of Yakult Honsha, was formed in 1990, and its first product manufacturing facility in the U.S. was completed in 2014 in Fountain Valley, CA. In 2022, Yakult more than doubled the sales of its probiotic beverages in the U.S. on a unit basis.

In response to rising demand, the customer selected Gray to design and build a 250,000 s.f. production plant in Bartow County, GA. The Gray family of companies is providing facility design & construction, interior design, and extensive engineering services, including civil, architectural, and structural engineering. In addition, Gray is also working closely with the Yakult USA Inc. team to assist with various parts of the design while the customer provides design and specifications for proprietary equipment.

The two companies recently celebrated the groundbreaking for the company’s new greenfield manufacturing facility.

“We’re fortunate to have a long history of working with Japanese companies and want to celebrate this legacy,” says Stephen Gray, president & CEO, Gray, Inc. “Breaking ground today is more than just the start of a new facility—it’s a powerful symbol of the trust that has been built between our teams—one cohesive team. We’re proud to play a part in helping Yakult grow and impact the marketplace.”

This facility is expected to begin production in 2026 and will produce about 1.8 million bottles per day.