The firm will add two modern production lines for chocolate manufacturing for an investment of PLN 96m ($28.3m). 80 new jobs will be created at the plant, which was built around 20 years ago, taking the total number of employees to 200.
Central and Western Europe demand
“The expansion of our plant in Lodz is a vital element in Barry Callebaut’s growth strategy in Central and Western Europe. Our operations in Poland are a cornerstone in our mid- and long-term plans and the expansion of our production capacity and development of modern methods for chocolate production are key to maintaining our leading market position,” said Philipp Schoeller, vice president FM Europe Central, member of the Management Board of Barry Callebaut Manufacturing Polska.
The first production line is expected to be complete by summer of 2015 and the second line will be operational by the end of 2016.
Polish chocolate market set for growth
According to a report from KPMG, value sales in the Polish chocolate market recorded an compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2% between 2008 and 2013 to reach PLN 6.4bn. Euromonitor International predicts that the market will grow at a CAGR of 3.3% up to 2018.
The market is led by Mondelēz with a 15% share, followed by Lotte Wedel with an 11% stake, according to Euromonitor.
Barry Callebaut CEO Juergen Steinemann last week announced that he would stand down after fiscal 2015 following positive full-year 2014 results from the firm.