Thanks to 2nd U.S. Plant
Nongshim announced on Nov. 30 that its sales in North America are expected to reach a record high this year at US$486 million, up 23 percent from the previous year.
Nongshim’s big growth in the North American market this year has been driven by its second plant in the United States, which started operations in April. The Korean instant noodle giant promoted the establishment of the plant to accelerate its growth in the U.S. market. Output of its first U.S. factory reached saturation last year, so supply could not keep up with demand. The company shipped products from Korea to meet the U.S. demand.
Nongshim’s second plant in the U.S. has one high-speed line for bag ramens and two for bowl ramens. It became a mass production base for products that have been in short supply, such as Shin Ramyun, and drive sales growth.
The main product that led the growth of the North American market this year was, of course, Shin Ramyun. Shin Ramyun in bags is expected to rack up US$83 million in sales, up 36 percent from the previous year. In addition, Yukgaejang Bowl Noodles and Shin Ramyun Black in bags also led the overall market growth with their sales rising by 37 percent and 20 percent, respectively, compared to the previous year.