CROWLEY, LA. — Supreme Rice, LLC, one of the largest rice milling operations in Louisiana processing more than 1 billion lbs per year, is investing $16.2 million to develop parboil facilities in Crowley and Mermentau, La., for a new line of ready-to-eat products. The expansion projects are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2022 and create nearly 100 new jobs in Acadia Parish.
Supreme Rice said the expansion in Crowley will include the addition of a new parboil mill inside its existing facility. In Mermentau, the company plans to build a new greenfield facility for parboil operations, which will partially cook the rice for the new product line.
“Our new parboil facility in Mermentau will allow us to market this product line to customers,” said Bobby Hanks, chief executive officer of Supreme Rice. “The new parboil rice products will create another value-added milled rice offering that further supports the stability of Louisiana-grown rice.”
Founded in Kaplan, La., in 1936, Supreme Rice moved to Crowley the following year and has been headquartered there since. Founder Joseph Doré built and implemented one of the first drying units in the industry, allowing the company to expand its reach globally. The company processes more than 1 billion lbs of rice per year and produces packages of white long grain, medium long grain, jasmine and brown long grain rice that are shipped to more than 50 countries. The company only has been in the consumer packaged goods business since 2013. The company has access to the ports of Lake Charles, Houston and New Orleans.
