HOUSTON — Riviana Foods Inc., a subsidiary of Madrid, Spain-based Ebro Foods, is investing $80.6 million to expand and renovate its processing and packaging plant in Memphis, Tenn. The investment project will add approximately 80 new full-time jobs.

As part of the investment, Riviana will add approximately 65,000 square feet to the Memphis plant and will renovate approximately 20,000 square feet. The expansion and renovation will increase the plant’s current production capacity for the company’s Minute rice microwavable cups, Riviana said. In addition, Riviana said it will add new production capacity for ready-to-serve pouches of its Tilda, Carolina and Mahatma rice brands.

“We will be in a stronger position to meet or exceed customer needs of looking for simpler, better and more nutritional food options,” said Enrique Zaragoza, president and chief executive officer of Riviana. “And we look forward to many more years of our successful partnership between Riviana and the Memphis community with this investment.”

Riviana opened the Memphis plant in 2006. Over the past 16 years the company has expanded the plant seven times, most recently in April 2021 when it invested $15 million to upgrade production and expand instant rice capacity. In November 2019, Riviana invested $27 million to double the production capacity for its Minute brand microwavable rice products at the plant. Demolition and construction work is expected to begin during the first quarter of 2023 with new production capacity utilization starting in the first quarter of 2024, Riviana said.