VEVEY, Switzerland — During a private meeting with Mexico’s President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Nestlé México announced an investment of US$154 million for the opening of a cutting-edge production center in the municipality of Veracruz, which will implement state-of-the-art technologies for the processing of coffee and the reduction of water and energy consumption.
The innovative factory will have the aim to process 20,000 tons of green coffee annually and will operate under an advanced system of operational management meeting global quality and safety standards.
In a first phase, the center will generate 250 direct jobs and 2,500 indirect jobs with the potential to reach 1,200 direct jobs and 12,000 indirect jobs at the end of the three stages of its expansion, including the support for the training of young people through the dual training model.
Fausto Costa, CEO of Nestlé México, expressed his personal desire and that of the company to bet on Mexico and Mexican talent.
“We are very pleased to share joint objectives with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his team. We both believe in supporting young people, where Nestlé has been a pioneer in the country. We also both believe in the strengthening of the Mexican countryside and the importance of accelerating the growth of the Southeast region. This new investment in Veracruz confirms our commitment to Mexico and its people; the country’s economic stability and competitiveness have been fundamental factors to strengthen us as Nestlé’s fifth largest market worldwide,” Costa said.
In Veracruz, Nestlé buys more than $1,900 million pesos in raw materials from more than 10,000 producers annually. Through the Nescafé Plan program, it has presence in the main coffee zones of the state, in the central and great mountains region; during the 2017-2018 harvest season, it bought 340,000 bags (69 kg) of coffee, which represents more than 35% of the grain it uses nationally and provided technical support to more than 5,000 participating producers.
The new facility includes the use of clean energies, treatment and recirculation of process water, recovery of 100% of the coffee waste to produce energy and the use of 100% renewable electrical energy. With the integration of technologies that reduce the environmental impact and the use of natural resources, Nestlé México reaffirms its commitment with the Planet and to carry out sustainable business practices.
