A Dubai-based nut processor is setting up shop in Fresno.
It is the first operation for Kahraman Agro DMCC in the western hemisphere.
The big picture: Cook Land Company and Kahraman announced Wednesday that the Dubai-based nut processor will lease a 25,000-square foot light industrial facility in Fresno.
- The facility will be located in east Fresno near Fowler and Shields avenues.
- Cook Land Company said it built the facility within the Airways East Business Park and aggressively recruited Kahraman to fill the space.
Zoom out: Kahraman is a vertically-integrated and family-owned processing firm that was founded in 1976.
- The company currently has seven processing plants around the world, located in Spain, South Africa, Turkey, Dubai and Kyrgyzstan.
- Kahraman processes nuts, kernels and dried fruits, and along with its line of edible nuts, the company also makes creams and pastes.
What they’re saying: “It is a truly wonderful time for our community. We were thrilled to recruit and are proud to welcome Kahraman Agro to the Central Valley as they drive their first stake into the ground in the United States,” said Cook Land Company CEO Todd Cook. “We look forward to seeing them bolster Fresno’s local economy and strengthen their ties with the region’s farmers.”
- Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer told GV Wire that Kahraman plans to export $200 million in its first year of operations in town, with more to follow.
- “This year, they anticipate doing $200 million of exports from Fresno internationally,” Dyer told the publication. “Next year, their projections are $300 million. In year three, they plan on bringing their entire Dubai operations to the city of Fresno.”
