Spanish food company ElPozo Alimentación has started construction on its new Iberian pork products processing plant in the western Andalusian town of Jabugo.
The company said it will invest €73.5 million in the new facility and bring 475 jobs directly and indirectly to Jabugo, a region known for its quality ham. The plant is expected to be finished in June 2019.
The facilities will be spread across more than 58,000 square metres and will include cutting edge technology capable of producing 2.5 million processed hams and shoulder joints, and 300,000 kg of Iberian pork per year.
Products will also include pork loin and chorizo, which ElPozo Alimentación will sell under its Legado Ibérico private-label brand, the company said.
Recognised Standards
ElPozo said that the new plant will offer safety, quality, respect for the environment and maximum energy efficiency, in line with the UNE-EN ISO 14001 standards set by the the Spanish association for standardisation and certification AENOR.
Andalusian regional minister for agriculture, fishing and rural development, Rodrigo Sánchez Haro, presided over the event where the announcement was made.
He said that the project was inspirational and important for Jabugo, and Andalusia more broadly. He also highlighted the common goals between the regional government of Andalusia and ElPozo Alimentación to expand and sell the products all over the world, according to the retailer.
“This investment is part of our objective to significantly increase exports of one of the gems of Spanish cuisine. ElPozo Alimentación has come to Jabugo to join it in making the Jabugo brand and its products grow on an international playing field,” said Tomás Fuertes, president of ElPozo Alimentación.
The town’s mayor, Gilberto Dominguez, said that from today Jabugo and ElPozo Alimentación will become synonymous, as the realisation of this project offers an historic opportunity in terms of what the job and wealth creation means for the population.
The Spanish company was named the country's most chosen brand for the second time in two years in a recent report of consumer research.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Kevin Duggan. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
