The Barry Callebaut Group has inaugurated its new chocolate factory in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city.
Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić was present at the inauguration, on the invitation of Peter Boone, CEO of the Barry Callebaut Group.
The visit, including an inauguration ceremony and a factory tour, was conducted in compliance with the strict COVID-19 measures that the chocolate manufacturer implements to maintain a high level of safety for its people.
Novi Sad Factory
The state-of-the-art factory, which represents a total investment of €55 million, has an initial annual production capacity of over 50,000 tonnes of chocolate.
It will allow Barry Callebaut to supply customers with a wide range of chocolate, compound, and filling products.
The factory will serve as a regional hub from which Barry Callebaut can address the rapidly growing chocolate markets of Southeastern Europe and beyond.
Since the groundbreaking ceremony in early March 2020, construction work progressed rapidly and was completed in March 2021.
'Solution Provider Of Choice'
Commenting on the inauguration, Boone stated, "Novi Sad is the perfect location for us. I am pleased with the successful start and am confident that from Novi Sad we can address the rapidly growing chocolate markets of Southeastern Europe and become the solution provider of choice for customers in the region."
"It is important for us now to additionally invest in technical universities in Novi Sad, Vojvodina and in the north of Serbia, and to do everything possible to make people understand that when they finish their schools, that they can get a really good job. We are thankful to Barry Callebaut for hiring such a highly skilled workforce," added Aleksandar Vučić, the President of Serbia.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Conor Farrelly. For more Supply Chain news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
