Unilever has committed to enhancing its Poland-based food manufacturing facility located in Poznań, with a focus on boosting production for its ramen noodles brands.
The multinational FMCG conglomerate is directing an investment of approximately 90 million zlotys ($20.8 million) into the plant to incorporate a new production line dedicated to its Knorr, Unox, and Amino noodle brands, as stated in their announcement.
Unilever has revealed that automation will be integrated into the project, empowering the facility to manufacture 600,000 noodle packs daily for distribution in Poland, Hungary, the Netherlands, and specifically chosen European nations.
Poznań, part of Unilever’s nutrition business division, stands as one of Unilever’s three factories in Eastern Europe. Additionally, the company maintains an operations center in Katowice and a facility in Bydgoszcz, specializing in the production of home and personal-care products.
“The investment in Poznań will help us continue to respond to the growing demands of the European market,” Hanneke Faber, the president of the nutrition business unit, said. “Moreover, our Polish food business is also strengthening its position.”
While Unilever refrains from providing specific sales figures for individual emerging-market nations, it underscores the significance of this geographical region as a central growth priority for the company.
During the initial half of its most recent fiscal year, which was reported in July, Unilever achieved an underlying sales growth (USG) rate of 10.6% in emerging markets, surpassing the overall group’s rate of 9.1%. Notably, the global nutrition division also demonstrated strong performance with a USG of 10.4%.
The company’s total global revenue reached €30.4 billion ($32.6 billion) over the span of six months.
The forthcoming production line in Poznań will be implemented with a strong focus on sustainability, including efforts to optimize energy and water usage.
Przemysław Fejfer, the director of the factory, added, “Our Poznań factory is one of the largest food production plants in Unilever. Thanks to further investments, we will be able to respond even more effectively to the needs of our customers and continue to develop our business.”
Just across the Polish border in Ukraine, Unilever revealed in March its commitment to invest €20 million in a new facility dedicated to the production of personal-care products in the Kiev Oblast region.
Nevertheless, Unilever has faced criticism for maintaining its operations in Russia, despite the country’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
In July, Unilever was added to the “international sponsors of war” list of Ukraine’s National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NACP).
FMCG peer Mondelez International is also on the list, while PepsiCo and Mars were added this month.
