Korean fresh food company Pulmuone added a new noodle production line at its plant in Gilroy, California, achieving an annual production capacity of 24 million packs of fresh noodles.

The line which began operating last month allows Pulmuone to directly produce fresh noodles on-site, reducing logistics costs and improving efficiency.

Previously, Pulmuone relied on exporting semi-finished products, including fresh noodles, from Korea to the United States, where they were turned into completed products.

The Gilroy factory has automated production processes, from dough making to packaging finished products.

“Asian noodles are a core segment for Pulmuone, accounting for approximately one-third of the total revenue of Pulmuone Foods USA,” a company spokesperson said.

“Our U.S. subsidiary initiated the production of Teriyaki Stif-fry Udon at the Gilroy plant at the beginning of last month, with plans to gradually expand the product lineup, including the local production of five different types of fresh noodle products, including Tonkotsu Ramen.”

Since entering the U.S. Asian noodles market in 2015, Pulmuone reported a nearly ten-fold increase in sales over the last six years, rising from $8.2 million in 2016 to $72.2 million in 2022, according to the company. Pulmuone’s Asian noodle products are currently available at over 300 Costco stores across the U.S.

The addition of the noodle production line follows Pulmuone’s expansion of the tofu production line at its plant in Fullerton, California, in November 2021, doubling its monthly maximum production and boosting its total U.S. tofu production by 38 percent.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]