A biotechnology company and a national leader in the Asian food market are growing their presence in Houston with a new fungus factory.
Singapore Finc, a Singapore-based subsidiary of China-based Shanghai Finc Biotech, entered into a joint venture with China-based Huayuan Food Group to build what the companies say is the first edible fungus factory in the United States. Project representatives told the Houston Business Journal via email that the factory is still in the design and permitting phase but is expected to begin construction in late 2023.
The 258,000-square-foot factory will be at 11155 Westpark Drive, near the intersection of Beltway 8 and the Westpark Tollway. The facility will use a soilless method to produce 50 tons of American Enoki mushrooms daily to help reduce U.S. dependency on mushroom imports, the companies said July 3. The factory will employ 50 to 60 people when completed, according to project representatives.
Harris Central Appraisal District data shows the 11155 Westpark Drive property was purchased by Come M Investment Houston LLC in January 2022. Records from the Texas comptroller’s office show the LLC was registered to an individual named Jie Xie in November 2021.
According to a March 2023 report from Market Data Forecast, the North American edible mushroom market was worth nearly $12 billion this year and is estimated to be growing at a compound annual growth rate of 9.48% with an expected valuation of $20.9 billion in 2028. The report also named Finc as one of the 10 major players in the U.S. market and worldwide.
The Market Data report found that rising costs of raw materials could inhibit the production of edible fungi in the U.S. Finc, which pioneered the factory production of edible crab mushroom and white jade mushroom in China, said the factory could help lower mushroom prices.
The development alongside the Westpark Tollway comes after Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones announced in May a study to evaluate the portion of the highway that runs from Beltway 8 to the Harris-Fort Bend County line. The study will be led by the Harris County Toll Road Authority, the Houston Business Journal reported at the time.
Meanwhile, other international biotechnology companies are continuing to grow their presence in the Houston area as well. Switzerland-based Lonza completed an expansion of its Pearland facility in early 2023, which will allow the company to take on more clients looking to manufacture cell therapies.
Around the same time, China-based PackGene broke ground on a 25,000-square-foot building outside the 610 Loop, which will include lab, warehouse and office space. PackGene also said it would triple its local workforce by the end of the year.
