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Kikkoman soy sauce; Wisconsin-made for 50 years
While Wisconsin is known for brewing beer, it is also home to the largest naturally-brewed soy sauce facility in the world. Friday, June 9 marked 50 years since Kikkoman Food's opened a plant in Walworth.
WALWORTH, Wis. - While Wisconsin is known for brewing beer, it is also home to the largest naturally-brewed soy sauce facility in the world. Friday, June 9 marked 50 years since Kikkoman Food's opened a plant in Walworth.
"Today Kikkoman is a global company, but we always haven’t created on the global stage," said Yuzaburo Mogi, Kikkoman CEO.
Fifty years ago, Kikkoman Foods brought a 300-year-old tradition of soy sauce brewing from Japan to Walworth County.
"50 years ago, we had only 50 people working in the plant. Among them, we sent about 15 people from Japan," Mogi said.
Yuzaburo Mogi
That plant has transformed into the highest-producing soy sauce facility in the world.
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"Today I am going to change my language and talk not only about brewing beer in Wisconsin, but brewing soy sauce," said Missy Hughes, Wisconsin Development Corporation Secretary & CEO.
Kikkoman Food's, Walworth
Wisconsin proclaimed Friday "Kikkoman Day" in honor of the half-decade anniversary of the Walworth plant's opening.
The company's CEO even flew in from Japan to celebrate, showing his gratitude with a total of $5 million to go towards sustainability research at the University of Wisconsin and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
"People around here are very friendly, they welcome us," Mogi said.
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Mogi credits that comradery to Kikkoman's success.
"Working together, I believe something new was created. That tradition has continued for 50 years," Mogi said.