Purina to increase production capacity in Hungary by 66%

The Swiss multinational positions the Central European country as one of its largest market exporters in the region.

Nestlé announced it is opening 2 new production units at its Purina pet food factory in Bük, 200 km west of the capital Budapest, in a bid to turn Hungary into the “stronghold” of its European pet food production.

The yearly capacity of the facility will increase to around 250,000 tons, up from its current capacity of 150,000 tons.

“As one of the largest employers in the region, the Nestlé Purina factory in Bük will create more than 500 new jobs in the city between 2020 and 2025, thanks to its vigorous development and continuous investment,” says Peter Noszek, the CEO of Nestlé’s business in Hungary.

The company invested approximately $245.5 million (€233M) into expanding the factory and claims it has spent more than HUF268 billion ($726M/€689.9M) on it over the past 25 years.

Largest player in the region

The Swiss multinational says the Bük plant exports 95% of its output to 50 countries and claims that Hungary is now the 13th largest player in the global pet food industry.

Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, commented on Nestlé’s news, saying that the country’s agriculture and food industry “is highly innovative and has recently become internationally competitive.”

According to the company, nearly half of the raw materials supplied to the Bük factory come from Hungarian companies. “This proportion may increase further thanks to the new investments,” it concludes.