[Report] "860,000 Dumplings Made Per Day"... CJ CheilJedang's Beaumont Plant Serves as Forward Base

Production of 'K-Food' including Bibigo Dumplings and Noodles
Preserving the 'Core Structure' of Korean Cuisine with a Localized Touch

"Bibigo is the leading brand in the Korean food category in the United States."

About 1 hour and 30 minutes away from downtown Los Angeles is the CJ CheilJedang Beaumont Plant. Since its establishment in 2019, the plant has produced Bibigo dumplings, fried rice, K sauce, noodles, gim (seaweed) snacks, and more. The factory manufactures about 160 tons, or approximately 860,000 pieces, of dumplings each day.

On August 14 (local time) at the Beaumont plant, Melissa Thompson, Vice President of Asian Food Manufacturing at CJ Schwan's, emphasized, "Here, we produce about 60,000 tons of food per year, making the largest volume of Asian products in the United States."

CJ CheilJedang Beaumont Plant located in Beaumont, California, USA. Provided by CJ.

CJ CheilJedang's business in the United States has grown explosively through the sequential acquisitions of US food companies Annie Chun's, Omni, TMI, Kahiki, and Schwan's. In particular, the acquisition of Schwan's, a frozen food company, in 2019 served as a turning point, allowing the two companies to build an integrated B2C distribution system. By leveraging Schwan's logistics infrastructure and nationwide distribution network, Bibigo K-Foods, including dumplings, are now sold in about 80,000 stores across major retail channels such as Walmart, Kroger, and Costco in the United States.

The Beaumont plant is a core facility among the 20 plants that CJ CheilJedang operates in the United States, serving as a key launchpad for targeting the US market. In the factory, which covers about 41,300 square meters, over 600 employees work each day. All processes, from kneading flour for dumpling skins and noodles to ingredient mixing and dumpling making, are automated. However, given the nature of the products, many steps still require manual labor, and a substantial number of employees participate in production at each stage. Efforts are currently underway to further automate the packaging process as well.

Upon entering the plant, the smell of peppers and spices for the dumpling fillings was striking. Initially surprised by the potent odor in the food plant, it became understandable after staff explained that dumplings sold in the United States differ from those sold in Korea. While dumplings in Korea mainly use pork as the key ingredient, CJ CheilJedang's dumplings sold in the US, filled with chicken and cilantro, have gained considerable popularity.

View of the production process of Bibigo dumplings at CJ CheilJedang Beaumont Factory. Provided by CJ.

After tasting the "Chicken & Cilantro Dumplings" sold in the United States, I found the flavor to be totally distinct from the smell inside the factory—rich and deep. The clean taste unique to chicken, which is not present in pork dumplings sold in Korea, combined with refreshing cilantro, created a new and unique flavor. These dumplings are the product of the research and development team at CJ CheilJedang America. By adding chicken and cilantro flavors favored by American consumers, the company succeeded in its localization strategy.

As of 2024, Bibigo Dumplings held a 41% share of the US B2C dumpling market. In the US, Bibigo dumplings have been positioned as a healthy food, differentiated from Chinese and Japanese products by their thin, moist wrappers, and fillings abundant in original ingredients cut by knife.

Vice President Thompson explained, "The most important thing is to listen to local consumers' opinions, and even when localizing, we always keep the core of Korean cuisine." She added, "In Korea, dumplings are made with chives and pork, but in the US, we use chicken and cilantro to suit American tastes."

At a media briefing held at the CJ CheilJedang Beaumont plant, Melissa Thompson, Vice President of Asian Food Manufacturing at CJ Swans, is giving a briefing. Provided by CJ.

In the dough preparation process for noodle products, a strong raw flour scent was noticeable—something not common in other food factories. However, after being processed into noodles and then immersed in cold water, the raw odor disappeared, giving way to the unique subtle aroma of flour that whetted the appetite.

Based on the success of Bibigo dumplings and to meet growing local demand, CJ CheilJedang is building a new plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, scheduled for completion next year. The facility, with a site area of 575,000 square meters—equivalent to about 80 soccer fields—will be the largest Asian food manufacturing facility in North America. CJ CheilJedang generates more than 80% of its North American food business revenue in the United States. Currently, CJ CheilJedang's products are sold not only through traditional retail channels but also at schools, restaurants, and convenience stores across the US.

Vice President Thompson stated, "CJ CheilJedang is ready to become the fastest-growing food company in North America. Our goal is to deliver a variety of flavors to every American table and to ensure that, wherever you go in the United States, you can enjoy CJ foods."

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