Sofia, September 16 - Bulgaria will serve as the regional confectionary and coffee hub of US chocolate giant Kraft Foods, the company said at the presentation of its retooled factory in the western town of Svoge.
The expansion has devoured BGN 40 million, which has been invested in two chocolate and sweets production lines that are already up and running. A third line should be completed by the end of the year.
So far, production from the Svoge facility has been sold exclusively to the domestic market but after wrapping up the investment, the company will boost exports to the Balkan nations as well as Turkey, Hungary and Ukraine.
Upon completion of the expansion, the factory will be capable of popping out around 100,000 chocolate bars a day. The ribbon-cutting ceremony has been scheduled for October 2.
Last year Kraft pumped BGN 1.6 million into its coffee factory in Kostinbrod, western Bulgaria, making it its regional coffee production hub. Following the upgrade, the company transferred from Germany to Bulgaria its coffee production operations servicing the Romanian market.
Kraft Foods Bulgaria gives job to more than 800 people, having also hired another some 200 workers in related activities.