Juice producer Agrana will invest €21.75 million (US$26 million) to establish a manufacturing facility in China’s Changzhou National Hi-Tech District’s Life and Health Industrial Park.
It is the company’s largest single investment in the country.
Established in 1988, Austria-based Agrana makes fruit products and fruit juice concentrates as well as sugar products and infant dairy products at 56 manufacturing sites across the world.
Its global fruit processing operation accounts for 44% of its total revenue.
The Changzhou manufacturing facility will focus on the research, development and production of jam, jam ingredients, fruit juice concentrates, fruit and vegetable products and seasonings.
The manufacturing facility is expected to complete construction at the end of 2018 and become operational in 2019.
The facility will serve firms such as Danone, Mengniu, Bright Dairy & Food Co., Ltd, Unilever (Wall’s) and Baxy.
Agrana is the first European food processing firm to establish a footprint in Changzhou National Hi-Tech District.
The district has attracted investors from 68 countries and regions worldwide, with 1,580 foreign-owned firms having located a facility there, including 43 of the Fortune 500 firms.
It has more than 33 projects each featuring an investment exceeding US$100 million with combined foreign investment over US$9 billion.
Other companies investing in the district include Lanxess, ThyssenKrupp and Novelis.
