Mondelez eyes $500m exports
MANAMA: Mondelez will export $500 million worth of products from Bahrain when both of its plants are operating at optimum capacity, Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed Al Zayani has said.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony of the Mondelez Bahrain Biscuits factory at the Salman Industrial City in Hidd yesterday, the minister said the start of production at the factory marks the realisation of “our vision of ‘Ocean to Oreo’ as Bahrain won the project despite not having the land for it”.
The new plant is located 3km from Mondelez’s earlier manufacturing site also in Hidd, which has been producing Kraft cheese and Tang powdered beverages since 2008.
“Mondelez International’s manufacturing facilities in Bahrain make a valuable contribution to the economy and people of Bahrain through the creation of direct and indirect jobs, and the purchase of local materials and services such as raw- and packaging-material supplies, and shipping and distribution operations,” added Mr Al Zayani.
He also hailed it as an excellent example of public-private partnership.
The inauguration ceremony was held under the patronage of Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, son of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier.
Those present included Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Tamkeen chairman Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf, Economic Development Board managing director Simon Galpin, US Ambassador Justin Siberell, Mondelez International executive vice-president for integrated supply chain Daniel Myers and executive vice-president and Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa president Maurizio Brusadelli.
The company invested $90m in the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that currently produces Oreo cookies and Barni soft cakes and serves as a hub for exports to the Gulf region, the Levant and Africa.
“This investment in Bahrain is a great example of how we’re building a world-class supply chain, with Factories of the Future in strategic locations around the world designed to simplify operations, increase flexibility, improve productivity and meet the growth demands of our power brands,” said Mr Myers.
“The 250,000sqm ‘Factory of the Future’ is about the size of 30 soccer fields with production capacity of nearly 45,000 tonnes per year – equal to the weight of 65,000 Formula 1 racing cars.
“Bahrain-made Barni soft cakes are being shipped to even Australia and New Zealand and products from the factory will be exported to 20 countries by the end of the year,” he added.
“We’re keenly focused on winning with our consumers and customers, as we simplify and modernise our operations and production capacity. We’re making our company more nimble and efficient, creating the fuel we need to invest in our brands and our people – our most important assets – and deliver sustainable, profitable growth for our shareholders.”
According to Mr Brusadelli, “The Middle East and Africa are priority markets for us, and we’re confident in our selection of Bahrain as the preferred location for our plant, due to its business-friendly environment, skilled local workforce and excellent transport links, all of which will be instrumental to the success of our growth plans.”
“We thank the government for their continued support. This site is our second major investment in the kingdom over the past 10 years, further strengthening Bahrain’s position as a strategic business hub and contributing to national economic growth,” he added.
The new plant has already made a valuable contribution to the local economy and takes advantage of the region’s highly skilled and educated local workforce.
“The new factory has created about 150 direct jobs, 30pc of which are held by Bahrainis, and through the two plants together we help sustain over 12,000 more indirect jobs with our 350 suppliers in the local economy,” said Mondelez Bahrain Biscuits plant director Mohamed Shalaby.
Source: http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/347906/Mondelez-eyes-$500m-exports
