Cargill to Invest Nearly €20 Million in Cocoa and Chocolate Facilities in Germany

WORMER, The Netherlands, February 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Cargill has unveiled plans to invest close to €20 million in its newly acquired cocoa and chocolate facilities in Berlin, Germany.

This investment will enable Cargill to upgrade, strengthen and expand its cocoa and chocolate capabilities in Germany in order to offer customers superior choice, quality and market reach.  

Cargill plans to upgrade both production sites - based in Lichtenrade and Reinickendorf in Berlin - which will increase the capacities of specific product lines and strengthen its ability to provide a high quality cocoa and chocolate portfolio.  These expansions will also enable the efficient integration within Cargill's global network and optimise product flows to customers.

"This investment highlights Cargill's ongoing commitment to helping our customers meet the growing consumer demand for chocolate particularly in Germany and Eastern Europe," said Jos De Loor, Managing Director, Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate. "By upgrading, expanding and integrating these two production sites into our wider cocoa and chocolate network, we are better placed to serve our customers and seamlessly provide them with the best quality product from the most appropriate site."  

This investment maintains Cargill's cocoa and chocolate growth strategy in Europe and the company's ability to serve its customers.  It will continue to enhance Cargill's leading position in Germany, the largest chocolate market in Europe and will create two state-of-the-art cocoa and chocolate facilities to better serve customers in the bakery, confectionery and ice-cream categories with a broad portfolio of chocolate, cocoa powder, cocoa liquor and cocoa butter.  

Cargill's cocoa and chocolate facilities in Germany are part of its wider cocoa and chocolate network in Western Europe, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Brazil, Canada and the USA.

Cargill has been supplying quality cocoa and chocolate products to customers around the world in the chocolate, confectionery and food industry for over 50 years.

Notes for editors: 

Cargill

Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 142,000 people in 66 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to sharing its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business.

For more information, visit http://www.cargill.com.

About Cargill in Germany

Cargill has been active in Germany since 1955 and has around 1,600 employees in 12 locations in the country - in Barby, Frankfurt-Höchst, Hamburg (three locations), Klein Schierstedt, Krefeld, Malchin, Mainz, Riesa, Salzgitter and Wittenberge where it has a joint venture producing biodiesel with Agravis Raiffeisen AG.  

About Cargill Cocoa &  Chocolate

Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate offers the food industry a wide range of both standard and customised cocoa and chocolate ingredients to be used in bakery, confectionery, and dairy applications all over the world. Our product range includes high quality Gerkens® cocoa powders, chocolate, coatings, fillings, cocoa liquors and cocoa butters. With years of experience in technical food expertise Cargill supports its customers in new recipes and new product development.

To secure a good quality and sustainable supply of cocoa beans we have cocoa bean sourcing operations in the cocoa growing countries of the world and processing plants in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Côte d'Ivoire, France, Germany, Ghana, the Netherlands, UK and the USA - fully dedicated to produce in accordance with the highest food safety standards and resulting in delicious cocoa and chocolate products for our customers

http://www.cargill.com/news-center

Contact:
Wendy Garbutt
+44-1932-861174
wendy_garbutt@cargill.com