SANY Nutrition Group opens Arkansas plant

JONESBORO, ARK. — Contract manufacturer SANY Nutrition Group has opened a food production plant in Jonesboro that will turn out a range of better-for-you and comfort snacks and other products for the private label and branded channels in North America.

In a more than $30 million investment, SANY Nutrition acquired and remodeled the former Butterball manufacturing plant in Jonesboro, according to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC). Operations at the facility, which can make up to 400 million bars and bites annually, are underway. The site is expected to create over 150 new jobs in three years.

SANY Nutrition’s manufacturing capabilities cover six product categories: better-for-you snacks (high protein, reduced sugar, functional, plant-based and nutritionally balanced); sports nutrition (performance bars/bites and functional snacks to support energy, endurance, recovery and active living); indulgence-focused comfort snacks (with rich textures, layered fillings, chocolate coatings and bold flavors); frozen plant-based snacks (made with real fruit and vegetables such as pumpkin, beetroot and sweet potato and then protein-enriched and coated in sugar-free chocolate); baked foods and pastries (sweet, savory, better-for-you and functional bakery products, from cinnamon rolls and filled pastries to protein-rich, individually wrapped items); and pet nutrition (treats and functional snacks formulated to meet the needs of pets).

The Jonesboro plant also can produce a range of food ingredients, inclusions, fillings, coatings, bases and semi-finished solutions for food manufacturers, retailers, foodservice operators and brand partners, the AEDC said.

The Jonesboro facility has the capacity to produce up to 400 million bars and bites annually.

| Photo: SANY Nutrition Group

“SANY Nutrition Group is an innovative protein snack manufacturing company that combines the speed and fearless mindset of a startup with the technology, expertise and scale of a global organization,” said Angela Pernsteiner, an investor in Jonesboro-based SANY Nutrition. “Through tailor-made formulation, premium ingredients, state-of-the-art equipment and European-American process excellence, we transform bold ideas into distinctive, shelf-ready products — in weeks, not years.”

With the Jonesboro facility, SANY Nutrition also brings an integrated platform that encompasses consumer insight, concept development, formulation, design, regulatory support, advanced manufacturing, shelf-ready packaging, warehousing and distribution, the AEDC added.

“SANY Nutrition Group is choosing to invest its capital to grow in Jonesboro, Ark., building a new manufacturing facility and creating 150 new jobs,” said Clint O’Neal, executive director of the AEDC. “Jonesboro has become a food manufacturing hub thanks to its abundant natural resources, low costs, and the strategic vision of its leadership. This has led to investments from companies like SANY.”