BioKyowa selected industry of year in Cape

BioKyowa Inc., which opened its L-Lysine feed supplement plant on Nash Road almost 20 years ago, has been recognized as the fourth two-time winner of the Commitment to Excellence Award from the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce.

BioKyowa was presented the chamber's top industrial honor Wednesday night by Mitch Robinson, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Area Industrial Recruitment Association.

"This is a big surprise and honor," said Kohta Fujiwara, president of BioKyowa Inc. and Kyowa Inc., 5469 Nash Road Industrial Park. Fujiwara accepted the giant trophy as about 525 people cheered at the chamber's Industrial Appreciation Dinner at the Show Me Center.

Fujiwara said he had no idea BioKyowa was to be in the industrial spotlight until the program was well under way.

Fujiwara complimented the city, the area and BioKyowa employees.

"Our success here proves we selected the right place for our operations," he said.

This year's event marked the 14th year for the industrial dinner. Dana Corp. was last year's industry of the year.

The award was presented following remarks by Carl E. Hurley, who reflected why he is often described as "America's Funniest Professor."

Hurley, a native of the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Kentucky, is a former educator who left a professorship at Eastern Kentucky University to become a full-time speaker and entertainer. He took time between amusing anecdotes to deliver a serious message.

"Keep a smiley face, even in times when it is hard to laugh," said the professor. "Be happy in your heart, and let it out on your face. Establish a goal, learn how to do it, and you can do it."

BioKyowa growing

BioKyowa is a good example of that.

BioKyowa has been in a growth pattern the past three years. The company was the first major Japanese manufacturer to locate in Missouri, said Fujiwara. BioKyowa opened its swine and poultry supplement plant here in 1982 in a $25 million facility with 60 workers. Today, BioKyowa employs about 200 workers.

BioKyowa is now involved in more products in the Nash Road Industrial Park. Over the past three years, the company has expanded its swine and poultry supplement operation and added a new facility, Kyowa Food Inc., which produces food seasonings for humans. The new Kyowa food-supplement plant, a $50 million facility, was constructed near its sister company in a 32,000-square-foot facility, including processing space and a warehouse.

Kyowa Foods manufactures and sells nucleotide seasonings developed by the company. The seasonings provide basic tastes -- sweet, bitter, sour, and salty. The seasonings are used in flavors like beef, pork, chicken and fish that are used for broth, soups, bullion and pre-mixes.

$35 million expansion

BioKyowa has added $35 million in expansion over the past two years and can now produce more than 25 metric tons of L-Lysine a year. The L-Lysine expansion project called for 10,000-square-foot and 15,000-square-foot processing plants, a 13,000-square-foot warehouse extension and two other buildings with a combined 10,000 square feet, and six new storage tanks.

Kyowa and BioKyowa are both subsidiary companies of Kyowa Hakko Kogyo's, a Tokyo-based company and a big manufacturer of pharmaceuticals, food, agri-chemicals and liquor products in Japan.

This marked the second major expansion for BioKyowa. The first was completed in 1991 and involved a $15 million project that doubled production. It involved an 11,000-square-foot warehouse and expansion of production facilities.

BioKyowa has provided donations to educational facilities and is one of a number of member companies in the Southeast Missouri Regional Training Group. Others include some of the area's largest employers: Procter & Gamble Co., Lone Star Industries, Dana, Nordenia, (formerly M&W Packaging) and LeeRowan Co. Other members are K&K Electric, Gregory Construction, Golden Cat, SEMO Carpenters Union and Foamex.