CARTERSVILLE, GA — Gray, a fully integrated, global services provider for the food and beverage market, and Yakult, a multinational probiotic beverage manufacturer, recently celebrated the groundbreaking for the company's new greenfield manufacturing facility.
This new 250,000-square-foot beverage production and bottling facility will be the second manufacturing plant in the U.S. for Japanese-based Yakult. The company first planted its flag in California in 2014, but thanks to rapid expansion of the market and increases in sales, Yakult is once again growing.
"We're fortunate to have a long history of working with Japanese companies and want to celebrate this legacy," said Stephen Gray, President & CEO, Gray, Inc. "Breaking ground ... 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 this Yakult grow and impact the marketplace."
The new production facility will feature a 160,000-square-foot production floor; 40,000 square feet of office space; a 250-ton air chiller; automated packaging systems; and a stainless-steel facade. Additionally, the new facility will include a windowed corridor with views over the production floor, so guests touring the facility can witness firsthand what goes into manufacturing the product.
The Gray family of companies are also providing extensive engineering and design services for this project including civil, architectural, and structural engineering, as well as interior design. In addition, Gray is also working closely with the Yakult team to assist with various parts of the design while the customer provides design and specifications for proprietary equipment.
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The new production plant in Bartow County, Georgia, will be nearly three times the size of the company's existing manufacturing plant in California and will better position Yakult to meet the needs of customers in the Central and Eastern portions of the U.S.
This facility is expected to begin production in 2026 and, at peak capacity, will produce 2.7 million bottles per day across six production lines.
