Shin Dong-won, Chairman of Nongshim, "Will Surpass Japan and Become No.1 in the US Ramen Market"

Revealed at April 29th US Second Factory Completion Ceremony
Annual Production of 850 Million Ramyeon Possible in the US

Shin Dong-won, Chairman of Nongshim, is touring the production facilities of the second factory in the United States.

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] Shin Dong-won, chairman of Nongshim, expressed his ambition to surpass Japanese brands and become number one in the U.S. ramen market.

According to Nongshim on the 2nd, Chairman Shin said at the inauguration ceremony of the newly built second factory in Rancho Cucamonga, California, USA, on the 29th of last month (local time), "We will surpass Japan and become number one in the U.S. ramen market."

He added, "Nongshim first started exporting to the U.S. market in 1971, and since the establishment of the first factory in 2005, we have experienced remarkable growth," and "The second factory will serve as a foundation to accelerate Nongshim's global market expansion."

With the second factory, capable of producing 350 million ramen cups annually, entering full operation, Nongshim will produce a total of 850 million ramen cups in the U.S. Nongshim's sales in the U.S. last year were $395 million, with a target of $800 million by 2025.

According to market research firm Euromonitor, Nongshim's market share in the U.S. was 23.3% as of 2020, ranking second behind Japan's Toyo Suisan (49.0%). Japan's Nissin, ranked third, holds 17.9%, trailing Nongshim by more than 5 percentage points.

Exterior view of Nongshim's second factory in the United States.

The inauguration of Nongshim's second factory comes 17 years after building its first factory in the U.S. in 2005. During this period, Nongshim's U.S. market sales grew nearly tenfold from $41.7 million (2005) to $395 million last year. Having recorded high growth rates annually and continuously setting new records, the decision to establish the second factory was made based on the judgment that a new driving force was needed for a greater leap forward.

Nongshim's second U.S. factory spans approximately 26,800 square meters (8,100 pyeong) and consists of two cup noodle lines and one bag noodle line. The second factory alone produces 350 million ramen cups annually, and combined with the first factory, the total annual production reaches 850 million cups. All production lines in the second factory are high-speed lines, where products such as Shin Ramyun, Shin Ramyun Black, and Yukgaejang Sabalmyeon will be mass-produced.

In particular, Nongshim plans to strengthen its efforts to penetrate the Mexican market. Mexico, with a population of 130 million and an annual ramen market size of $400 million, is a large market currently dominated by low-priced Japanese ramen, indicating significant growth potential. A Nongshim official stated, "Since Mexico has a high consumption of chili peppers and the majority of the population prefers spicy flavors, we expect it will be easier to target the Mexican market."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.