TAIPEI, Taiwan – The Japanese coffee company UCC Ueshima Coffee Co. has announced on Friday it will invest NT$500 million (US$16.52 million) to set up a facility in the Douliu Industrial Park, in Taiwan.
On the same day, Yunlin County Magistrate Lee Chin-yung invited UCC Coffee Taiwan Co. President Masatoshi Sugimoto to taste freshly ground Taiwan coffee, which Sugimoto praised.
The Douliu coffee beans are farmed in Gukeng Township – which is well-known for its unique coffee culture – including its annual coffee festival.
Construction of the facility is expected to begin on August, and the company briefed the county magistrate on its plans on Friday.
UCC said construction on a plot of 5,288 square meters of land is to start on Aug. 9 and to finish in early 2019, creating job opportunities for 80 people.
There was no immediate word on what the facility will be used for, but the Commercial Times reported in April that it will be turned into a coffee tourist factory.
UCC has been in business for about 80 years and entered the Taiwan market 30 years ago. The company imports coffee beans from over a dozen countries.
Yeh Tzu-kang and William Yen
