The List of Goodies Made in Tennessee Keeps Growing

Vibrant Health Products

Food and beverage manufacturers based all over the world have found a new home in Tennessee, bringing an abundance of new jobs and capital investments to the region. From a Japan-based mayonnaise and salad dressing manufacturer to a Canadian health food brand and a well-known candy company, the range of quality products manufactured in Tennessee is set to expand even further in the coming years. 

Food and beverage manufacturers in Tennessee have long found a hub here. With household brands like Frito-Lay, MoonPie, Bush’s Beans and Jack Daniel’s, the range of beloved products manufactured in Tennessee continues to evolve and expand. 

Feeding the Tennessee Economy 

Charms, the manufacturer of Blow Pops, has been a Covington staple since 1972. That operation is set to expand, as Charms invests $97.7 million into its Covington manufacturing plant and distribution center, bringing 62 new jobs to the operation. 

Chicago-based Newly Weds Foods, which produces a range of unique seasonings, sauces, batters, breading and more, will expand its Tennessee operation after the acquisition of a Dyersburg facility to accompany its existing Cleveland operation. The $30 million investment in Dyer County will bring 50 new jobs to the region, signaling growth for an already thriving company with 31 facilities all over the world. 

With existing locations across Tennessee, Performance Food Group (PFG) will expand its presence in the eastern part of the state by investing $33.2 million in Hamblen County. The expansion is set to bring 37 new jobs to the area. With a focus on food distribution, PFG delivers thousands of ingredients to customers across North America. 

Investing in the Community 

The Japan-based Kewpie Corp. selected Clarksville for its second U.S. location in 2025. A prominent Japanese mayonnaise and salad dressing manufacturer, Kewpie Corp. seeks to blend its own brand of Japanese hospitality, or “omotenashi,” with the Southern hospitality native to Tennessee. 

“One of the main reasons we picked Clarksville was the solid support we received from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD), Industrial Development Board and Tennessee Valley Authority,” says Jerry Shepherd, president of Q&B Foods, Kewpie’s U.S. manufacturing division. “We also discovered that the character of Tennessee as a region and the nature of Tennesseans were a good fit for Kewpie and the Japanese way of thinking.” 

The 860,000-square-foot site was a close collaboration between TNECD and Kewpie Corp., with TNECD representatives visiting the company’s headquarters in Shibuya to better understand Kewpie’s needs and foster a sense of trust and support. 

“One of the key elements of a project like this is human relationships,” Shepherd says. “I believe establishing strong ties from the outset created a sense of mutual trust and was a major factor in the project’s success.” 

With its first facility in California, Kewpie Corp. saw Tennessee as an ideal access point for the Eastern U.S. market. Being rooted in the Tennessee community is important to the company, which plans to be a positive representative of products that are “Made in Clarksville.” 

“Q&B Foods aims to become a true ‘corporate citizen’ of Clarksville by being not just an employer and taxpayer, but also a vital part of the local community,” Shepherd says. 

Transforming Local Industry 

Other worldwide brands, like the Canada-based Vibrant Health Products, were equally drawn to Tennessee’s central location and deeply rooted community, ultimately making it a home for their flagship U.S. facility that will manufacture the Silver Hills Bakery brand. The new facility in Rossville will be housed in the former Kellogg’s Eggo facility and is projected to bring around 394 new jobs to the region. 

“By bringing new life to a well-known facility, we hope to give Rossville and Fayette County another reason to feel proud of their community’s growth,” says Stan Smith, president and co-founder of Vibrant Health Products. 

With a health-focused mission and an emphasis on quality nutrition, Vibrant Health Products aims to inspire growth in these areas across the community, whether through partnerships, education or simply providing a healthy product to consumers. 

“At the end of the day, Vibrant Health Products is about nourishing people and communities. This facility is a chance to extend that mission to Tennessee, and we’re excited to grow together,” Smith says.