Mondelēz International Invests USD200m in Czech Biscuit Plant to Accelerate Growth in Europe
Mondelēz International announced it has invested USD200m since 2014 in its Opava biscuit manufacturing facility, which employs nearly 1,000 people and produces brands like Oreo, belVita, Milka and Cadbury, for the European market.
The investment builds on Opava’s heritage of more than a century as a biscuit-making center and supports the company’s global growth strategy to create a best-in-class integrated supply chain and to deliver consumer-inspired quality and innovation that meet changing consumer preferences.
“Our growth story in Europe continues thanks to the investments we have made in Opava, one of the most modern factories in our network and a leading producer of biscuits for our European markets,” said Hubert Weber, EVP and president, Mondelēz Europe. Weber noted that several of the company’s biscuit brands, including Oreo, Milka, Cadbury, TUC and Chips Ahoy!, grew revenue in double digits in Europe last year.
Weber continued: “The five state-of-the-art manufacturing lines of the future installed here have enabled us to improve the speed, efficiency, effectiveness and quality of our biscuit production, while improving competitiveness in the European market. The modern production lines enable us to meet growing demand from European consumers for our power brands, while other factories in our network continue to produce the local and regional heritage brands that consumers have loved for generations. In all cases, we apply the same high standards for quality and taste, as well as ensuring we reduce our impact on the environment.”
The new facility also aligns with Mondelēz International’s “impact for growth” strategy to increase its positive impact on people and the planet. The company prides itself on maintaining excellent safety standards for the food it sells and the facilities in which its people work. In addition, biscuits produced at Opava are made with as little energy usage, water and waste production as possible, while the plant as a whole is a zero-waste-to-landfill facility.
The commitment extends to key ingredients, which are also sustainably sourced.
The Opava plant joins other Mondelēz international sites of the future that have opened or been upgraded over the last few years, including sites in Sri City, India; Salinas, Mexico; Bournville, United Kingdom; and, most recently, the new manufacturing facility that opened in Bahrain in April.