Alytus becomes noodles capital
Alytus is becoming an increasingly important city in the history of Akola Group. Here, AB Kauno Grūdai has built a new plant on the territory of the existing instant foods plant and merged the two plants. The company invested EUR 32 million in this project.
People are already bustling in the 7,400 square metre modern premises. The new plant in Alytus will be able to produce up to 240 million units of instant products a year – 120 million units of instant products in cups (noodles and porridge) and 120 million units of instant noodles in packets.
The inauguration of the plant was attended by a large number of guests who witnessed this important step. The opening ceremony was attended by the Lithuanian Minister of Agriculture, Kazys Starkevičius, the Mayor of Alytus, Nerijus Cesiulis, and other distinguished guests.
As Andrius Pranckevičius, Chief Executive Officer of AB Kauno Grūdai, said at the opening ceremony, the new plant is necessary to meet the growing demand for instant noodles in Europe and worldwide.
“The segment of instant foods is steadily growing. Today we export 96% of our production, but the growing demand has already exceeded the capacity of our existing plants. The new plant will not only increase production volumes, but will also allow us to maintain the quality standards that have earned the trust of our customers throughout Europe.”
Andrius Pranckevičius, CEO of AB Kauno Grūdai
The official part of the opening ceremony started with a video showing the construction process of the plant – from idea to implementation.
After the welcoming speeches, the ceremony culminated with the cutting of the symbolic ribbon by the CEO of Kauno Grūdai together with the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania, the Mayor of Alytus and the CEO of Panevėžio Statybos Trestas.
Guests saw a modern production line, and the plant tour included show elements such as a robot performance and a tasting of instant noodles.
The new plant has been designed and built to the highest energy efficiency standards, with state-of-the-art, automated production equipment, and production processes will be optimized to minimize environmental impact.
The building has an A++ energy rating and provides space on the roof for a 200 kW solar power plant that will supply electricity to the production lines. The building site will be equipped with 22 charging points for electric vehicles, access roads, landscaping, parking lots, and pedestrian walkways for people with disabilities.
“We are committed to investing in the professional development of our employees, as this is a key condition for our success. We believe that our investment in the well-being of our employees and our corporate values will attract talented professionals not only from Alytus but also from the surrounding cities. We aim to be an employer of choice in Alytus, to build a strong team of managers and specialists who can ensure a smooth start and efficient operation. Currently, the plant already employs more than 165 people, but as production volumes grow, we will continue to expand our team.”
A. Pranckevičius
In total, the plant is expected to create 250-300 jobs.
The company currently has two instant foods factories in Kėdainiai and Alytus. The latter has been in operation since 2019 and produces around 120 million pieces of instant noodles in cups per year. The Kėdainiai instant noodles plant, which has been in operation since 2011, produces and sells 105 million units of instant noodles in packets and 40 million units of instant porridge in cups per year.
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