Supreme Rice Invests $16.2 Million in Louisiana to Create New Facilities and Expand Product Line

Louisiana – On May 25, 2022, the Louisiana Office of the Governor announced that Supreme Rice, one of Louisiana’s largest rice-milling operations, will invest $16.2 million in Crowley and Mermentau to develop parboil facilities for a new line of ready-to-eat products. The expansion will result in 20 new direct jobs, as well as 79 indirect jobs, for a total of nearly 100 new jobs in Acadia Parish. At its current locations, the company will keep 181 jobs.

The company will construct a new greenfield facility in Mermentau for the parboil operations, which will partially cook the rice for the new product line. It plans to build a new parboil mill inside its existing Crowley facility.

“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. “This expansion and the new jobs it will generate in Acadiana will help to sustain the growing momentum of our rural revitalization efforts.”

Supreme Rice intends to start building the new facilities in the last 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. “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, Louisiana, in 1936 and relocated to Crowley, Louisiana, the following year, where it has remained ever since. Founder Joseph Doré designed and implemented one of the industry’s first drying units, allowing the company to expand globally. Supreme Rice produces packages of white long grain, medium long grain, jasmine, and brown long grain rice that are shipped to more than 50 countries each year.

“Supreme Rice Mill is a very important economic engine for Crowley, Acadia Parish, and the State of Louisiana,” Crowley Mayor Tim Monceaux said. “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.”

“It is with hopeful and great anticipation that the new endeavor with Supreme Rice in Mermentau will bring the economic boost that is much needed to our village and community,” Mermentau Mayor Darla Istre said.

The state of Louisiana provided Supreme Rice with a competitive incentive package that included $1.5 million from the state’s Economic Development Award Program in order to secure the project in Acadia Parish, Louisiana. The company will also make use of the state’s Quality Jobs and Enterprise Zone programs.

“As one of Louisiana’s largest rice-milling operations, Supreme Rice is a cornerstone of our state’s agricultural economy,” said One Acadiana President & CEO Troy Wayman. “One Acadiana is proud to have worked with our partners at LED and the Acadia Parish Chamber to see this major expansion come to fruition. We congratulate Supreme Rice and our partners in Acadia Parish on this expansion and applaud the company’s 85 years of impact, investment, and leadership.”