Nestlé to double coffee pod production

Posted by Nicole Eckersley on 28th March 2011

Nescafé Dolce Gusto coffee pod systemNestlé has announced plans to double production of Nescafé Dolce Gusto coffee capsules, with a CHF 64 million (A$67.7 million) investment in a new international production line in Spain, creating 150 new jobs.

The new line will form part of the Nescafé Dolce Gusto site at the Company’s Nescafé factory in Girona, near Barcelona – the largest Nescafé factory in Europe.

It will increase the company’s production to more than 2.5 billion coffee capsules a year by 2012, for export to more than 20 European countries, as well as the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Chile.

The Nescafé Dolce Gusto machine system, which can make both hot and cold drinks, offers 16 varieties of coffee capsules, and is compatible with Nesquik and Nestea capsules.

Nestlé made the announcement at the official inauguration of the Nescafé Dolce Gusto site, which already produces around three million coffee capsules a day.

Crown Prince Felipe of Spain attended the opening ceremony, which was led by José Lopez, Nestlé Executive Vice President of Operations and GLOBE, and Bernard Meunier, Head of Nestlé Spain.

“I am delighted to officially open the Nescafé Dolce Gusto site at our Nescafé factory in Girona; an investment which reflects our long-term commitment to Spain,” said Lopez.

“We have chosen the site as the location for the new Nescafé Dolce Gusto international production line, as over time it has demonstrated its capabilities as one of our most competitive factories in the world, thanks to its highly qualified and committed staff.”

The CHF 192 million (A$203.2 million) Nescafé Dolce Gusto site, built in 2008 at Nestlé’s existing Nescafé factory in Girona, has achieved record levels of production since operations began last year.

It will employ a total of 400 staff by 2012, as production expands to meet growing consumer demand for the Nescafé Dolce Gusto ‘coffee-shop-at-home’ system around the world.

Nestlé said it is the first factory in Spain to meet environmental sustainability requirements for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

A second Nescafé Dolce Gusto coffee capsule factory, located in Tutbury in the United Kingdom, is already running at full capacity.