Kraft Heinz will invest R $380 mi in new factory in Brazil

São Paulo – the Kraft Foods giant Heinz – whose shareholders to 3 g, the Brazilian billionaire Jorge Paulo Lemann, Beto Sicupira, Marcel Telles, and American Warren Buffett, the Berkshire Hathaway – should announce today the construction of a new factory in Brazil.
The unit will be built in the city of Nerópolis, in Goiás, with investments of R $380,000,000. The State, Pedro Drevon, President of the group in Brazil, said the new plant is due to come into operation in April next year and will consolidate the company''s expansion in the country.
The new unit will produce the lines of Heinz and Want foods, such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise and tomato sauces. It is the first plant that will be built as long as Kraft and Heinz announced the combination of their businesses, in 2015.
"It will be a factory independent of our unit already in operation," said Drevon. The group already has a plant in the municipality of Nerópolis, which was acquired when Heinz bought Want foods, in March 2011.
Although stay in the same municipality, the second plant will be built in different location. "The choice for Goiás was due to the State to be known as the" tomato House ". It makes sense to make investment there, "said the Executive. But the motivation is not only that: the group will have to guarantee the tax benefits State program Produce. It is expected to create 500 vacancies, between direct and indirect jobs. Currently, the group generates 2000 jobs.
Magnification
The plant is already in operation will receive investments of R $100,000,000 to the modernization and expansion. "Our new plant will be built to be sustainable, with water treatment system and renewable energy", Drevon said.
Kraft Heinz made almost $1 billion in R country in 2016. Drevon provides expansion in sales this year, but avoids making predictions. The products of the vast portfolio of the company, he said, have demand to meet all types of consumers – from class A and B, which consume the Heinz brand, even the lower middle class, more affected by the crisis, seeking products of Want.
The current unit produces 23000 tonnes of products per month. The second plant will begin with a capacity of 15000 tons/month, according to the Executive.
More popular
An eye on lower income consumers, the company is re-releasing the juice powder kool-aid, with new formula, and has also released an instant noodles, ramen type.
Second Drevon, there is room in the market for all types of products and brands. According to him, the kool-aid will have your outsourced production initially, but can be produced in units of Kraft Heinz in the future, but that decision hasn''t been made.
The current crisis is not weighed against the company''s decision to make the investment in the country. In 2015, when Kraft announced your merger with Heinz, the new group has mapped where needed to do expansions around the world.
The President of Heinz in the country, which Kraft started your career in 3 g, the trio of Brazilian billionaires, reports directly to the Executive Bernardo Hees, who discussed with the major shareholders the importance of global market in Brazil.
Complement
For the food and beverage specialist, Adalbert Viviani, the Kraft decision Heinz in investing in Brazil at a time of recession is the right one.
"In periods of uncertainty in the economy, companies with regional brands, without working capital are most affected. In this case, if you have capital to invest, the best thing to do is bet on markets already consolidated, which have firm demand, "he said.
Second Viviani, the different Kraft brands Heinz are complementary. For him, the fact that the middle class want to maintain the consumption pattern opens opportunity for increased sales of the Group''s business lines.
For Drevon, the potential demand for the company''s products and effective sales will be the bellwether for what Kraft Heinz to continue investing in the country.