WALWORTH – To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Kikkoman Foods Inc.’s soy sauce plant in Walworth, the international company will hold an economic conference June 7.

The conference at the Abbey Resort in Fontana will explore the issues of innovation in global economic development, according to a company statement. Leaders in politics, academia and business from Japan and the United States will lead the discussions at the conference, including Gov. Scott Walker, Toshihiko Fukui, former governor of the Bank of Japan, Minoru Makihara, former chairman of Mitsubishi Corp., and John Schilfske, chairman and chief executive of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co.

Kikkoman’s Walworth plant began operating in 1973 and has grown to be the most productive naturally brewed soy sauce plant in the world, according to a company statement.

The conference will be co-sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Yuzaburo Mogi, honorary chief executive and chairman of the board of Kikkoman Corp. and Kikkoman Foods Inc., will represent Kikkoman. UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Michael Lovell and WEDC Chief Executive Reed Hall will represent their organizations.

“While the languages and cultures of the United States and Japan are very different, we share a difficult economic environment,” Mogi said. “In this environment, we must actively seek out new opportunities. Old strategies will no longer bring the success that they once did. In the new economy, if you are not changing and innovating, you will be left behind. This new economic reality requires creativity, patience and a willingness to take risks. I look forward to a vigorous and informative discussion of these and other important economic issues at our conference.”

“We are very pleased to welcome these outstanding political, academic and business leaders to Wisconsin for what will be an exceptional conference,” Walker said. “The discussion at the upcoming conference sponsored by Kikkoman, UW-Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. can identify innovative, new strategies for spurring global economic growth through innovation. I thank the conference sponsors and congratulate Kikkoman on the 40th anniversary of its Walworth plant, located just a stone’s throw from my hometown of Delavan, and now the largest plant of its kind in the world.”