Nestle Bulgaria, part of Swiss food and drink processing conglomerate Nestle, inaugurated a production line for its Smarties candy brand in its Sofia chocolate factory, following an investment of 19 million levs ($11.2 million/9.7 million euro), the company said on Tuesday.
The investment covers 100 newest-generation machines spread on an area of 4,000 sq m that can produce 2.3 million packages of Smarties by the end of the year for the domestic market as well as export to 10 countries, Nestle Bulgaria said in a press release.
The production of Smarties in Sofia will create 70 new jobs. Smarties is the second international brand that Nestle will produce in Bulgaria, according to the press release.
Nestle's Sofia factory, opened in 1939, is among the three biggest production centres in Europe of another one of the Swiss conglomerate's brands, KitKat, producing 16,000 t of it every year, of which 90% is exported. The Sofia chocolate factory currently employs 650.
In the span of 27 years, Nestle has invested an average of 10 million levs annually in its production in Bulgaria, the company said.
Nestle Bulgaria recorded sales of 266.7 million levs in 2019, according to its latest annual financial report.
www.nestle.bgFor more information on how to become a member of The Food Drink Bulgaria Association, please contact [email protected]
