Barry Callebaut opens new factory in Mexico

Barry Callebaut, the leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products, has opened its new chocolate factory located in Monterrey, Mexico. With an annual production capacity of around 100,000 tonnes, the new factory is Barry Callebaut’s third largest chocolate factory worldwide.

The total investment amounted to approximately $40 million (€30.8m). Expansion into Mexico allows Barry Callebaut to deliver chocolate to the local Mexican market, the Southern region of the United States, and to Central and South America.

Patrick De Maeseneire, CEO of Barry Callebaut, says, “Our new chocolate factory in Mexico will enable Barry Callebaut to move closer to its growing customer base of multinational and local food manufacturers in this region. Chocolate confectionery in Mexico is expected to grow on average by 6.5% per year in value terms over the next five years. These growth projections make the Mexican market a very attractive investment for Barry Callebaut.”

The new factory integrates a high level of automation is designed to manufacture industrial chocolate ” liquid and moulded chocolate ” as well as compound. Capacity utilisation at the plant is expected to rise rapidly and reach 60-70% by the end of fiscal year 2009/10. Full capacity is expected to be reached within five years.

In addition to servicing food manufacturers, Barry Callebaut will also continue to import Gourmet chocolate products to sell to artisanal chocolate users such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs and caterers in Mexico.

The new production site in Monterrey will offer Barry Callebaut a high level of flexibility within the region to respond to growing demand in both Mexico and North America more broadly. Barry Callebaut operates eight chocolate and cocoa factories in the Americas.