Nestle to open $43m factory in Ukraine

Swiss food company Nestle said Monday it would open a new production site in war-ravaged Ukraine, investing tens of millions of dollars in a factory and production network set to employ 1,500 people.

“Nestle is committed to Ukraine and is announcing the opening of a new production site,” the company, which had three facilities in Ukraine before the war broke out, said in a statement.

Nestle SA has announced that it will invest 40 million Swiss francs ($43 million) in production at its Smolyhiv facility in Volyn region, western Ukraine. The move is aimed at increasing the capacity of noodles culinary production in Ukraine and supporting the growth of the Ukrainian economy, which has been ravaged by Russia’s full-scale invasion since February.

“I am proud to confirm our commitment to invest in Ukraine,” Alessandro Zanelli, head of Nestle’s South Eastern Europe Market division, said in a statement.

With the addition of the Volyn production network, Nestle’s European regional hub for food and culinary products will become Nestle’s second largest factory in terms of size. The Hub will employ 1,500 people and aim to supply both Ukrainian and all other European markets. This significant move comes at a time when the country is facing many challenges, but it will help to boost the economy and provide employment opportunities.

Nestle has been providing Ukrainians with much-needed food and beverages since the start of the war. To date, Nestle has donated over 4,000 tons of products to help support Ukrainians both inside the country and who have fled to neighboring countries.