Brian Huff
CEO / Nissin Foods USA
By Mari Brand
All over the world, Cup Noodles® and Top Ramen®—two top brands for Nissin Foods—are known and loved. So, as Nissin Foods® USA continues to grow, the questions that President & CEO Brian Huff and his leadership team need to answer are unlike those of other lesser-known brands: How do you improve the best ramen business in the world? And where do they go from here?
When Huff was considering taking the role of President & CEO at Nissin Foods USA, several key components drew him to the position: First, the appeal of working in the ever-growing and evolving instant noodle business. Next, taking advantage of the market position where the iconic Cup Noodles and Top Ramen are brands everyone knows. Finally, leading the company’s culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. It was those values that helped Huff realize “this is the place for me.”
As the ramen noodle market continues to grow from an already impressive $3 billion in the US and almost $57.9 billion globally, according to Huff, so do the opportunities for Nissin Foods to truly commit to the innovation and entrepreneurship that are central to the company’s mission–and though he’s relatively new to his role at the helm, Huff has already thoroughly dedicated himself to that mindset.
“I love the notion of being meticulous because it talks about quality and an unrelenting zest to have the best.”
Re-emphasizing Iconic Brands
With Cup Noodles and Top Ramen, Nissin Foods USA has a well-established presence as the iconic instant noodles business not only in the U.S. but globally. Huff recognizes not only the value, but also the responsibility that comes with leading such a popular brand.
“I look at our ability to capitalize on [the growing ramen noodle market]—and certainly a lot of that is going to be these strong, iconic brands that we have developed here in the U.S. over 50+ years.”
Continuing to highlight the brands that Nissin Foods is most known for is a top priority for Huff and his team, whether that means going back to their roots or leveraging that brand strength to improve upon and innovate those products.
“This year, for the first time in nearly 20 years, we went back to Times Square in New York City and had a significant billboard that showcased our Cup Noodles – something we did back in 1996 to 2006 for steaming Cup Noodles,” Huff explained, acknowledging the value in remembering where you came from as a way to grow as a business.
“So we’re certainly getting back on our front foot as we invest in our beloved brands that we’ve had for more than 50 years to foster their continued growth and evolution.”
But as important as honoring a historic, decades-long legacy is, Huff recognizes that a brand cannot maintain its foothold in its industry without advancements.
“We also continue to work on our base business and products, which we have been in for years. Just this year, we’ve renovated our Cup Noodles product line to convert it from polystyrene to paper from a sustainability perspective,” noting that Nissin Foods USA is the first major brand in the US to make that move toward a more planet-friendly product.
All these efforts come down to a commitment to honoring Nissin Foods’ place in “a leadership position of branded instant noodle companies” as well as the recognizability of their brands on a consumer level.
“What you will see in the next three to five years is a continued significant investment in innovation.”
Strength in Local and Global Partnerships
Regardless of its notable brand status, Nissin Foods USA would not be where it is today without its longstanding relationships with strategic partners. They include equipment manufacturers and suppliers of staple ingredients, both on a local and global scale, as well as the suppliers upward of 1,000 unique ingredients necessary for manufacturing processes.
Huff emphasized the importance of maintaining those relationships, as they have enabled Nissin Foods to adapt to challenges, fuel logistical advancements, and foster creativity. “[We have] decades worth of experience and talent in making instant ramen, significantly improving the structure of how we do that over time,” he said.
Andrew Klucznik, the company’s vice president of supply chain management, echoes that sentiment, adding that stable, long-term partners are key to their success. “As opposed to us having to go find new partners to develop business, it’s always easier to stick with good partners,” he shared. “We will be looking to strengthen alliances in the future, specifically, with the partners that support our strategic endeavors and operational objectives.”
“Our partnership with Nissin is in place to drive enhanced capabilities, and to transform some of Nissin’s key internal business processes, including S&OP, Logistics, Customer Service, and Operations. Our organization is working side-by-side with Nissin to deliver operational efficiencies through process re-engineering, automation, and the introduction and implementation of best practices.”
Rick Davis / CEO / Demand Chain AI, Inc.
Keeping up with cutting-edge equipment and manufacturing processes, improving nutrition and taste profiles, and adapting to changing regulations—both around the world and across America—are all examples of specific, vital areas of Nissin Foods USA’s advancement and successes that Huff attributes in part to the company’s strong relationships with strategic partners.
These relationships were particularly vital during the COVID-19 pandemic and the global supply chain disruptions it triggered. “Throughout the pandemic [Nissin Foods USA] was servicing our customers at a significantly higher level than our competition and, in a lot of places, actually replacing some of those across retailers that couldn’t supply,” Huff recalled.
““Bold,” to us, is continuing that spirit of entrepreneurship, continuing that spirit of innovation, and investing in our brands and business.”
“And I think a big piece of that was the strong relationships that we had globally with our suppliers, to allow us to get access to more products faster as the business and the dynamics of that business really changed.”
Nissin Foods’ supplier network strategy is a longer-term endeavor, Klucznik said, and it involves looking at not just how the supply network is positioned across the U.S., but also the technologies being used to manage it.
“The intent is really to position ourselves in the best possible way to service our customers and deliver efficiency for growth,” Klucznik shared. “Part of that customer focus strategy is building strategic partnerships and figuring out the optimal distribution network.”
Local and domestic partnerships are equally important, and part of Nissin Foods USA’s three- to five-year plan includes opening a new manufacturing site in Greenville County, South Carolina, joining its facilities in California and Pennsylvania, to serve the growing demand for its brands. Expanding the company’s footprint to the southeast market will create further opportunities to utilize the latest, global technologies and manufacturing processes, significantly improving efficiencies compared to older facilities.
“We’ve rebranded our values to be bold.”
The Spirit of Innovation
Being “meticulously bold,” as Nissin Foods’ founder Momofuku Ando would put it, is a key aspect of the company’s culture and values. Today, under Huff’s leadership, that culture of innovation includes branching out from its traditional instant noodle products, as well as growing the original Cup Noodles and Top Ramen brands.
Considering consumer wants and dynamics are central to Nissin Foods USA’s product expansion and innovation. As consumers “continue to look at authentic and more global foods and tastes,” Nissin Foods USA steps in to meet and exceed those emerging needs by prioritizing innovation and research and development.
“We are developing multiple products outside of our current category of ramen,” Huff explained. “The global company is in the snacks business, they’re in the beverage business, and they’re in the refrigerated and the frozen business with multiple product types.”
Launching multiple new products yearly, including seasonal and limited time offerings, is another critical area in which Nissin Foods USA is continuing to evolve and listen to consumer trends. From limited ramen flavors of s’mores, everything bagel and pumpkin spice to breakfast products, Huff highlighted the specific ways the company keeps longtime customers intrigued and draws new consumers to their brands.
“These types of innovations get people talking about ramen and get people thinking about the category a little bit differently, driving the consumer to the aisle to look for them,” Huff shared. “We try to do a mix of standard and value-added innovation, to do more of these LTOs to drive some excitement in the category and bring people to the category.”
Internally, Nissin Foods is also working to innovate and strengthen its business processes. “We are intensely improving our integrated business planning process,making sure it’s the best one we can possibly build for our business,” he shared.
“Putting customers first will essentially drive our innovation and our growth engine.”
Bold Values, Bold Leadership
Ultimately, being bold defines Nissin Foods USA’s brand. It’s the culture of innovation and entrepreneurship that originally drew Huff to the company, and it’s what drives everything from its new product development to maintaining the strong partnerships that have been crucial to their business for decades.
“We look at bold as a fun acronym to describe our values as a company,” Huff shared. “Being entrepreneurial for the ‘B.’ ‘O’ is for owning the business. ‘L’ is leadership, and ‘D’ is driving diversity.”
That’s everything from “who we are, what we are, and certainly how we operate and challenge the status quo,” Huff said. “That’s how we continue to be a great business partner for our suppliers, a great neighbor for the communities that we represent, and also a steward of the globe, leading in terms of sustainability and renewable energy.”
