Danone opens new sustainable plant in Cuijk, Brabant
On March 25, Danone proudly announced the official opening of its new Nutricia Cuijk production facility.
On March 25, Danone proudly announced the official opening of its new Nutricia Cuijk production facility. The opening ceremony, taking place in the presence of a broad range of stakeholders, including the Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Mrs. Carola Schouten, as well as industry and healthcare representatives, marks the completion of a three-year journey to build a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient, zero-waste plant. The facility will primarily produce specialized infant formula that meets the needs of infants diagnosed with specific medical conditions – such as cow’s milk protein allergy, as well as standard infant formula. The €240 million investment is among Danone’s largest in its European production network in the last ten years.
At Danone, we believe the health of people and the planet are interconnected, as expressed through our company vision 'One Planet. One Health'. Our new Nutricia Cuijk facility is a significant investment towards achieving that vision. At this facility, we'll be producing food for vulnerable babies and we're also doing everything we can to preserve a healthy and clean environment for future generations.
Veronique Penchienati-Bosetta - Executive Vice President, Danone Specialized Nutrition.
A major investment for Danone in the Netherlands and Brabant
Danone’s €240 million investment in Nutricia Cuijk, announced in 2015, represents the largest international capital investment in a greenfield location in Brabant in over a decade. With the new facility, Danone aims to build on the scientific capabilities of Nutricia and expects to benefit from the strong agricultural heritage, expertise in nutritional research and excellent local supply chains in Brabant. Attending today’s opening ceremony, Mrs Schouten, said, “Danone’s Nutricia Cuijk facility is not only a monument to innovation and sustainable production, but also a recognition of the Netherlands as a dairy country. With the opening of this factory, Danone again contributes to the Dutch Topsector know-how and our expertise in specialized nutrition.”
Danone is of great importance to the Netherlands, Brabant and its Agrifood cluster. Besides the large investment and employment, the company is a frontrunner with regards to the use of renewable energy, zero waste and reduction of CO2”, says Jan Pelle, Managing Director of the Brabant Development Agency (BOM). “Their presence is stimulating and will further initiate innovation in the local food and dairy ecosystem. As BOM we are proud of the establishment of this new plant and the support we have been able to offer to Danone, together with our partners.
Jan Pelle - Managing Director of the Brabant Development Agency (BOM)
Once fully operational, the new Nutricia Cuijk facility will employ close to 500 staff and will – through indirect employment – support up to an additional 2,000 jobs. With the support of on-the-job training, the entire local workforce will transfer from the legacy plant in Cuijk to the newly-opened facility. At full capacity, Nutricia Cuijk will produce more than 600 different products – including the well-known Aptamil and Nutrilon brands – for customers in over 90 countries, feeding more than three-and-a-half million babies daily. BOM was involved in the location search and additional support in Brabant from the start of this project in 2014.