15 December 2006 - Roshen Confectionery Corporation, Ukraine's leading sweet manufacturer, has announced that “Roshen-Classic” chocolate is about to hit the country's shop counters. The company claims that it is really the first true chocolate of Ukrainian quality which consumers are lacking.
“Roshen-Classic” is a premium-class chocolate of Swiss or Belgian quality that will be at an acceptable price for the Ukrainian consumer, adds the confectionery firm.
“Now Ukrainians can compare the quality of Roshen, Nestle and Kraft Foods candies, that is why our candies have to be delicious and high-quality nevertheless at a reasonable price”, said the company in an announcement.
It took the company more than 3 years to develop the original compounding. In order to succeed, the company said that it had to invest USD 15 million on technical re-equipment in 2006 alone. A further USD 40 million will also be invested in 2007.
2006/2007
Roshen also announced that 2006 was quite a productive year. In Ukraine, the company bought a new workshop at its Vinnitsa facility. Next year, the plant will be equipped and officially launched. It will produce the company’s whole variety of waffles at a rate of 3,000 tons per month.
Furthermore, the confectionery firm is finishing a 5-year project to rebuild its Kiev plant and is working on a modern 60,000m2 logistics centre on the site, which is scheduled to open in 2008.
In August, as previously reported on FLEXNEWS, Roshen acquired Klaipedos Konditerija, a pastry factory, from Lithuanian company Invalda. The purchase is part of Roshen’s plans to gain a foothold in the Baltic countries.
The plant itself is one of the oldest in Lithuania and produces caramels and other sweets. The products are exported to Latvia, Estonia as well as Russia, Germany, Poland, and, since 2005, Denmark.
According to the company’s website, Roshen Confectionery Corporation is the largest Ukrainian confectionery manufacturer employing over 10,000 people. Its factories in Kiev, Vinnytsa, Mariupol and Kremenchug produce about 30% of all Ukrainian confectionery.
The company’s product range comprises more than 200 kinds of sweets, chocolates, sugar candies, cookies, waffles, fruit jellies and cakes. The total production volume is estimated at 200,000 tons of confectionery per year.