SPARKS, NEV. — RIBUS Inc. has opened its first solely owned and operated production facility in Sparks, where the company is now headquartered after moving from St. Louis.

The 15,000-square-foot plant is organic and kosher certified, with non-GMO, gluten-free, halal and SQF certified, RIBUS noted. The facility also will provide job opportunities to citizens of Reno, which is just east of Sparks. The new jobs are in plant operations, quality, maintenance, supply chain, customer service and finance departments.

“Having our own plant gives us increased capacity and control over making changes that are needed in the marketplace,” said Steve Peirce, co-founder and president of RIBUS. “Some of these changes may include different package sizes, different particle sizes, and new, innovative ingredients.”

RIBUS, which is short for Rice Ingredients Business United States, is a producer of plant-based, non-GMO, natural, organic, vegan and gluten-free ingredients for food, beverage, pet and dietary supplement companies. RIBUS’ Nu-FLOW ingredient, also known as “The Synthetics Replacer,” gives manufacturers the option to replace anti-caking agents, including synthetics, silicone dioxide or tri-calcium phosphate (or talc) with a natural or certified organic ingredient.