San Antonio provides ideal location for possible Sriracha expansion

In this Jan. 28, 2005 photo, bottles of Sriracha hot sauce are filled with product at Huy Fong Foods Inc. in Rosemead, Calif. The city of Irwindale, where Huy Fong has a production facility, on Monday, Oct. 28, 2013 filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court asking a judge to stop production at the factory, claiming the chili odor emanating from the plant is a public nuisance. (AP Photo/San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Greg Andersen) MAGS OUT; NO SALES; MANDATORY CREDIT less In this Jan. 28, 2005 photo, bottles of Sriracha hot sauce are filled with product at Huy Fong Foods Inc. in Rosemead, Calif. The city of Irwindale, where Huy Fong has a production facility, on Monday, Oct. ... more Photo: Greg Andersen, Associated Press Photo: Greg Andersen, Associated Press Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close San Antonio provides ideal location for possible Sriracha expansion 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO — State and city officials are hoping to woo the CEO of Huy Fong Foods Inc. into moving or expanding production of Sriracha, the company's increasingly popular spicy Asian sauce, to San Antonio.

State Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, is leading a delegation of Texas officials May 12 to meet with CEO David Tran and tour the company's embattled factory near Los Angeles.

A California judge forced the company to shut down some production after complaints that fumes emitted from the facility caused asthma, nosebleeds and sinus irritation.

“These talks are still very preliminary and we haven't drilled down on site-selection yet, but with it's proximity to the Rio Grande Valley and the economic infrastructure to support this type of factory, San Antonio is high on the list,” Villalba said.

Mario Hernandez, president of San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, said the organization reached out two months ago to Tran, who indicated an expansion is more likely than a full-fledged relocation to the Alamo City, which would cost millions.

“We would welcome the opportunity on a complete relocation, but a more likely scenario is future expansion,” Hernandez said.

San Antonio is an ideal location for production of the spicy condiment because it is close to the Rio Grande Valley, a region with a large agriculture industry that could easily grow chilies for the product, Villalba said.

Because the chilies must be transported to a factory for production soon after being harvested, San Antonio, the largest city in South Texas, logistically would be a prime location for a manufacturing plant.

Hernandez and Villalba said they have no reservations about the fumes emitted from the factory because proper steps would be taken to ensure safety of nearby residents.

Villalba said the complaints are baseless and politically motivated and, as confirmed by the company's attorney, no company employee has filed a workers' compensation claim in regard to the odor.

“If managed correctly, with the proper zoning and proximity to residential areas, there are many different sites in the San Antonio area that would serve the community and (Huy Fong Foods) well,” Hernandez said.

During the legal battle over the complaints, Villalba — who said Sriracha is his favorite condiment, “even above ketchup” — has written public letters to the company inviting them to Texas, where there is no state income tax and fewer emission regulations.

The Dallas Republican received an invitation from Tran last week and will be joined by state Rep. Hubert Vo, D-Houston, who speaks fluent Vietnamese; Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples; and officials from Gov. Rick Perry's and Attorney General Greg Abbott's offices.

“In one of the fastest-growing areas of the country there is an insatiable need for jobs of all types,” said state Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, who was invited by Villalba but couldn't attend because of a scheduling conflict.

“Texans are hard workers, and we have a host of communities that are willing to work with a manufacturer to produce a win-win situation,” he said. “Certainly, I'd like to welcome the company and help in any way possible to show them what they've probably already heard: Texas has a lot to offer.”

The company employs hundreds of full-time and temporary workers in the factory and growing fields, Villalba said.

“We could grow in the state (of Texas) if need be,” Tran told Forbes magazine. “But after seeing the supporters (April 23), I don't feel alone, so I need to try to stay here instead of relocating. There is, however, the possibility of expansion to other locations due to growing sales.”

The City Council in Irwindale, Calif., delayed a vote Wednesday for two weeks on a measure that would've deemed the factory a public nuisance and required the company to stop releasing the peppery fumes by July 22. The factory, which has produced Sriracha since 1980, moved to Irwindale two years ago.

“I am deeply troubled that one of the fastest-growing and universally beloved condiments in the world — made right here in the USA — could face such blatant obstructionism by a local city government,” Villalba said in a statement. “This would never happen in Texas.”

kparker@express-news.net

Twitter: @KoltenParker