Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Officials on Wednesday evening celebrated the grand opening of SANY Nutrition Group’s Jonesboro manufacturing plant.

SANY Nutrition Group manufactures high-protein, reduced sugar, and plant-based snacks, such as sports nutrition bars, frozen snacks, pastries, and pet treats. The company announced mid-August that it had invested more than $30 million into the project.

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It is housed in the former Butterball facility, located at 9401 E. Highland Drive, which closed in February 2025. The company has remodeled the facility and has already hired about 75 employees, according to Angela Pernsteiner, founder and investor of SANY Nutrition Group. She added that another hiring campaign, which aims to bring on an additional 35 employees, was set to begin in November.

“We’re really happy, and we found [the] majority of the workforce over here, but also have some out-of-state people that moved over here, because they’re very drawn to this vision of speed, flexibility, agility, paired with this global, corporate professionalism,” Pernsteiner told JRN.

In addition, the company announced in September it was partnering with Arkansas State University launch a Red Wolves-themed protein bars, of which proceeds benefit the university’s Student Emergency Fund, which assists students experiencing temporary financial hardship.

“That partnership reflects something both organizations believe in strongly: our success should translate as meaningful impact on people and the community around us,” Dr. Erika Krennerich Chudy, A-State’s vice chancellor for university advancement, said during the ceremony. “Our working partnership plan contemplates co-branded plants, potential campus retail opportunities, continued support for the Student Emergency Fund, and product support for the A-State cheer team.”

The SANY Nutrition Group plant sits in Craighead Industrial Park, an area that has recently seen nearby companies announce layoffs, restructuring, or plant closures, such as the Delta Peanut plant closure or layoffs at TrinityRail.

Pernsteiner said SANY’s opening in the area provided an opportunity hire skilled workers, one of the things the company previously said drew it to Jonesboro. Other factors included a strong agricultural industry, supply chain infrastructure, and a “business-friendly” environment.

“It’s a little bit [like] the philosophy of life: the door closes, another one opens,” she said. “We feel that we can contribute the community here locally. We hear that from the people, because they didn’t expect that a new facility is opening up that we would have the demand for a lot of skilled ventures.”

The Jonesboro facility will produce up to 500 million protein bars and bites annually. While it will be used for manufacturing, officials noted it will be expanded to accommodate a long-term growth strategy that includes product concepting, branding and packaging design, ingredient sourcing, distribution, quality assurance, and more.

“We’re looking forward to many good days ahead,” Jonesboro mayor Harold Copenhaver said during the ceremony. “What you’re seeing today is really a masterpiece, and I can’t say enough that we’re looking forward to the future.”

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