Pepsi is allocating $13 million towards the establishment of a new production line at its soft drinks facility in Romania, where it will manufacture a variety of beverages, including Pepsi, Pepsi Max, 7UP, Mirinda, and other branded products.
Pepsi has announced a $13 million investment in “installing a modern fully automated production line” at its soft drink plant in Dragomirești, Romania.
The company’s objective in taking this step is to enhance production capacity to “800 million liters per year.”
The investment involves the “construction of a fully automated warehouse extending over 15,000m2, valued at $15 million.”
The new production line has the capacity to manufacture up to 1 million bottles per day, representing a 60% increase in beverage output per unit compared to a traditional production line, according to a spokesperson from Pepsi.
The move is an important element of the company’s 5-year development plan, entailing a total investment of $40 million by the drinks giant.
“(…) This investment will help us strengthen our position as a regional production and distribution hub for Central and South-Eastern Europe” said Radu Berevoescu, general manager and senior commercial director of East Balkans at PepsiCo.
As per the 7Up manufacturer, the “fully automated process, encompassing everything from bottling to loading onto trucks,” will eradicate the necessity for human intervention in the operational workflow of the new production line.
„ The new line can produce approximately 1 million bottles per day, simultaneously consuming 30% less energy than a conventional line. The high level of automation allows our employees to focus on improving processes, professional and personal development, as well as the continuous simplification of operations,” he said.
“Over the past decade, Pepsi has directly invested $320m in Romania, reinforcing its position” in the region’s market.
The beverage company operates two facilities in Romania, namely Star Foods Snacks in Popești-Leordeni and a beverage plant in Dragomirești, both in close proximity to Bucharest.
The Dragomirești facility caters to the markets of Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Ukraine, Hungary, Cyprus, and Moldova.
The upcoming production line will have the capability to produce various brands, including Pepsi, Pepsi Max, 7UP, Mirinda, and others.
The Pepsi facility in Popești-Leordeni caters to the aforementioned countries as well as additional ones, including Moldova, Ukraine, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, and more. The factory manufactures Lay’s potato chips, Doritos, Lay’s Oven Baked, and a local brand called Star.