Chocolate and cocoa products maker Barry Callebaut has announced that it is to open its third factory in Russia in the special economic zone of the Kaliningrad region.
The facility, acquired by Barry Callebaut in 2020, will be operational in August of this year.
The factory will manufacture liquid and solid compounds and fillings.
Initially, it will employ about 40 people, mainly in its production, engineering and warehousing departments.
In April, Barry Callebaut reported a drop in first-half net profit, with sales volumes falling for the second consecutive quarter and announced the appointment of Peter Boone as its new chief executive, succeeding outgoing top boss Antoine de Saint-Affrique.
'Strengthens' Presence In Russia
Rogier van Sligter, co-president of Barry Callebaut's EMEA region, commented, "The opening of our third factory further strengthens our presence in Russia and underlines our commitment to the world's third-largest chocolate confectionery market."
Apart from the new facility in Kaliningrad, Barry Callebaut's footprint in Russia includes two other factories – one in Chekhov, Moscow region, and another in Kasimov, Ryazan region.
Bart De Geyndt, general director of Barry Callebaut Russia and CIS, stated, "The three factories, together with the Chocolate Academy Centre located in Moscow, enable us to serve our customers better, offer a full product portfolio and satisfy the growing demand in Russia and CIS countries for chocolate innovations."
Last month, Barry Callebaut Group agreed to acquire the Belgium-based Europe Chocolate Company (ECC) for an undisclosed amount to cater to the growing demand for highly customised specialty chocolate and decoration from food manufacturers.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Dayeeta Das. For more Supply Chain news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
