Danone Nutricia Signals Start of Construction for New Factory in Cuijk
On 9 June 2016, Danone Nutricia gave the official go-ahead to commence construction of its new, 240-million-euro state-of-the-art production facility at Cuijk, in the Netherlands. The factory, which will produce baby-food products for more than 80 countries, signals Danone’s largest investment to-date in its European production capacity, doubling its current output.
Danone Nutricia elected to reflect its commitment to sustainability in the construction of the facility, which will be highly energy-efficient and conform to the strictest legislation on CO2 emissions. With a surface area of 49,000m2 the new factory will consist of two 45-metre-high drying towers, a 26-metre mixing tower and new laboratory and office installations.
Constructing this new facility is an interesting challenge, with its key focus on quality and sustainability. The current factory was in need of an upgrade, however we also wanted to optimize our technology, production and logistics. The new facilities allow us to double our production to around 170 million packs per year, enabling us to fulfil the rapidly increasing global demand for our high-value baby-foods.
John Michel Lequin - Project Director
The new factory will be fully operational at the end of 2017 and will produce specialized food products for babies and infants with, for example, special dietary needs or food allergies. Early in 2018, the entire project will be completed and the current production facility, in the center of Cuijk, will be closed.
The new facility marks not only a milestone in the 100-year history between Nutricia and Cuijk, but also a milestone in the journey of Nutricia and Danone. Nutricia’s strong link to the region continues, as does its commitment to its employees and their specialized knowledge.
Thorough investigation into the best possible location led us to Cuijk. A number of factors made the choice apparent, such as the knowledge, expertise, passion and commitment of our specialized and talented workforce and their contribution to the development of our products. For the last 100 years we have produced high-value baby-food at the Grotestraat location, however we must now look to the future and develop our knowledge and expertise even further. I’m very happy that we are literally starting a new future today with the building of this new factory: the start of another 100 years.
Jeroen Boon - Director Nutricia Cuijk
The new facility is in close proximity to Danone’s R&D center at the Utrecht Science Park, where research is conducted into Early Life Nutrition and Advanced Medical Nutrition.
Source: Danone Nutricia press release, 9 June 2016