Supreme Rice planning $16.2 million expansion in Acadia Parish, adding 20 new jobs
Supreme Rice, one of the state's largest rice-milling operations, is undergoing a $16.2 million expansion project to add parboil facilities in Acadia Parish, Louisiana Economic Development announced Wednesday.
The parboil facilities will be in Crowley and Mermentau and will allow the company to produce a new line of ready-to-eat products. The expansion will create 20 new direct jobs, and LED estimates the project will result in 79 indirect jobs. The company is retaining its 181 jobs at current locations.
“As a processor of one of Louisiana’s key crops, Supreme Rice is both a cultural ambassador and an agribusiness leader for our state,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a news release. “This expansion and the new jobs it will generate in Acadiana will help to sustain the growing momentum of our rural revitalization efforts.”
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The facility in Mermentau will be new. The Crowley mill will be built into an existing facility. The company plans to begin construction on the buildings by the fourth quarter of 2022.
“Our new parboil facility in Mermentau will allow us to market this product line to customers,” CEO Bobby Hanks of Supreme Rice said in a release. “The new parboil rice products will create another value-added milled rice offering that further supports the stability of Louisiana-grown rice.”
Supreme Rice was founded in Kaplan in 1936 and moved to Crowley the following year. The company has been headquartered in Crowley ever since. The company was home to one of the first drying units in the rice industry, which allowed the company to expand globally.
The company processes more than 1 billion pounds of rice annually, producing white long grain, medium long grain, jasmine and brown long grain rice that is shipped to more than 50 countries.
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“Supreme Rice Mill is a very important economic engine for Crowley, Acadia Parish, and the State of Louisiana,” Crowley Mayor Tim Monceaux said in a release. “We are pleased and excited to have this expansion realized and look forward to the continued success and growth of this business. Under Bobby Hanks’ leadership, the rice mill has grown substantially, and we wish him the very best in his endeavors.”
Louisiana is giving Supreme Rice $750,000 from the state's Economic Development Award program, and the business is expected to use the Quality Jobs and Enterprise Zone programs.
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“We are proud to celebrate Supreme Rice's parboil expansion at their Crowley and Mermentau sites,” Acadia Parish Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Meghan Duhon said in a release.
“Acadia Parish's agricultural roots run deep, and this expansion is a testament to the parish's commitment to the industry and farming community. Supreme Rice's new investment and creation of jobs builds upon their continued dedication to our local workforce and economy. We are thankful Supreme Rice calls Acadia Parish home.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Supreme Rice announces $16.2 million expansion project
