（2020年5月20日，天津）今天，雀巢正式对外宣布一系列投资新举措，旨在进一步加强在华布局，同时通过技术创新和产品高端化，进一步丰富其产品组合。此次增资总体规模超过1亿瑞士法郎（约合人民币7.3亿元），包括基于公司宠物食品品类强劲增长的势头，扩大在津现有宠物食品工厂的产能，引进新的高附加值产品。并在津增设其在亚洲的首条植物基产品生产线。此外，雀巢还将对其糖果业务增加投资，升级“呈真”威化生产线，并进一步发展天津雀巢质量保证中心的能力。
此次投资表明了雀巢助力中国食品产业转型升级的决心。20日，天津经济技术开发区管委会与雀巢中国在天津举行了合作备忘录签署仪式。来自政企的嘉宾共同见证了合作协议的签署。
雀巢大中华区董事长兼首席执行官罗士德先生表示：“一直以来，雀巢都对中国市场秉持着坚定的承诺，不断巩固在华发展的根基。自1994年雀巢在天津开设第一家工厂以来，天津经济开发区一直是我们在中国发展的重要基地之一，并且公司不断加大投资力度。我们诚挚感谢当地政府多年来给予雀巢的大力支持以及提供的良好发展环境。本着雀巢‘创造共享价值’的经营之道，我们希望新的投资计划能带动食品制造业的升级拓展和产品创新，为当地社区的可持续经济发展带来新的动力。”
对此，天津经济技术开发区党委书记、天津经济技术开发区管理委员会主任郑伟铭先生表示：“雀巢作为天津引入的全球食品行业的龙头企业，25年来在天津进行持续投资，有效助力当地经济增长，并且带动了当地食品工业产业链的全面发展。这次疫情后，雀巢积极响应政府疫后积极推进经济建设的号召，继续在天津增资扩产，此举将助力天津经济技术开发区新一轮的经济增长。”
随着中国城市化进程的加速，生活中有宠物为伴已成为风尚，由此带来的宠物经济不仅在一线城市蓬勃发展，在更广泛的地域也呈强劲增长趋势，雀巢看准这一契机，对天津的雀巢普瑞纳宠物食品工厂进行增资扩产，并引进用于生产专业处方粮和湿粮等国际先进水平的生产设施，为宠物提供更丰富和更高端的食物选择。
与此同时，食品界也正在发生一场悄无声息的变革——健康营养并且环境友好的食品受到越来越多的消费者喜爱。为满足大众需求，雀巢加大了对植物基产品的关注度，并决定率先在天津经济开发区投资建设生产线。通过加大对利用植物制造产品这一新技术的投资，从而帮助减少碳的排放。雀巢集团在2019年宣布将在2050年实现零温室气体净排放的目标。
雀巢一直为中国市场带来创新的产品，其中“呈真”威化是2019年推出的雀巢旗舰威化系列产品，受到市场的广泛欢迎。此次增资将对威化产品线做进一步投资，扩大产能的同时，升级产品生产技术，为消费者提供更加多元和健康的休闲零食选择。
随着雀巢在天津提升产能、增加更多中高端食品生产的举措一一落地，公司还将同时加大对天津质量保证中心的升级力度，进一步提升实验室在质量检测和监控方面的能力，并且在食品安全合规检测方面提供更丰富的质保培训和技术支持。
罗士德先生表示：“在中国政府的支持下，雀巢在新冠肺炎疫情的防控和复产复工工作上取得了初步胜利。我们选择此时增加对中国市场的投资，再次凸显了我们对中国市场的信心以及长期的承诺。雀巢希望通过不断推出本地化的创新产品，来提升人们的生活品质，贡献于更健康的未来。”
关于雀巢中国
中国是雀巢全球第二大市场。雀巢大中华区目前在中国运营31家工厂、3家研发中心和4家产品创新中心、奶牛养殖培训中心、雀巢咖啡中心、食品安全研究院、3个客户交流中心，以及拥有约4.3万名员工。
(Tianjin, China, May 20, 2020) Today, Nestlé is announcing a series of investments that will further strengthen its footprint in China and enable it to further enhance its product portfolio with innovative and premium products. The investments, in total more than 100 million Swiss Francs (RMB 730 million), include a significant capacity expansion of Nestlé’s existing petfood plant in Tianjin, introducing new production lines for high-value products building on the strong growth in the company’s existing petfood portfolio. It also includes the company’s first production facility in Asia for plant-based products. In addition, there will be new investment for the confectionery business with an upgrade of the production line of Nestlé Chengzhen Wafer. Nestlé will also further develop the Tianjin Nestlé Quality Assurance Center.
Together these investments underline Nestlé’s determination to contribute to the transformation and upgrading of China’s food industry. A signing ceremony for a Memorandum of Understanding between the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA) Administrative Commission and Nestlé China was held in Tianjin. Guests from both the government and companies witnessed the signing of the partnership agreements.
Mr. Rashid Qureshi, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé Great China Region, said, “Nestlé has a strong commitment to China and has long been dedicated to deepening our roots in the Chinese market. Since Nestlé opened the first factory in Tianjin in 1994, we have continued to increase our investment and regard TEDA as one of our important bases in China. We are grateful to the local government for always providing Nestlé with such an excellent business and investment environment. In the spirit of Nestlé’s ’Creating Shared Value’ principle, we expect these projects to boost sustainable economic development in local communities by driving food manufacturing expansion and product innovation.”
Mr. Zheng Weiming, Party Secretary and Director of the Administrative Commission of TEDA, said, “Nestlé is a world-leading food company. Over the past 25 years, Nestlé has been continuously making investments in Tianjin city, effectively boosting local economic growth and driving overall development of the local food industry. Since the COVID-19 epidemic in China, Nestlé has actively responded to the government’s call to promote economic development and continued to increase its investment and expand production in Tianjin.”
With the rapid pace of urbanization in China, pet ownership has been a trend and is becoming increasingly popular not only in top tier cities but also across low-tier and rural areas. Viewing this trend as a significant opportunity, Nestlé plans to further invest in and increase the production capacity of Nestlé Purina PetCare factory in TEDA. It will introduce production lines for brand new high value-added products, such as the Veterinary Diet and Wet Cat Food categories, to provide pets with richer and premium food options.
In recent years, the food sector has undergone a quiet revolution as people are choosing more and more healthy, nutritious, and environmentally friendly foods. To meet this demand, Nestlé has decided to step up its focus on the plant-based category and invest in a new production facility at TEDA. By investing more in latest technologies to create products using plant, Nestlé will help to reduce carbon emissions. In 2019, Nestlé announced the goal of achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Nestlé continues to bring innovation to its product offerings in China. Chengzhen, a flagship wafer product series launched in 2019, has been widely welcomed by the market. With this latest project, Nestlé will increase investment in the transformation of wafer products and expand the annual production capacity in order to provide consumers with more diversified options for healthy leisure snacks.
Beyond the expansion of production capacity, Nestlé will also upgrade its Quality Assurance Center in Tianjin by further enhancing laboratory testing and quality monitoring services, quality assurance and laboratory capacity-building training, technical support for food safety and compliance testing, and more.
Mr. Rashid Qureshi, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé Greater China Region, concluded, “Having successfully managed the effects of the COVID19 pandemic with the support of the Chinese authorities, Nestlé has decided to increase its investments in China which is another clear demonstration of our long-term commitment and confidence in the country. By launching a series of innovative products in Chinese markets, we hope to further enhance people’s quality of life and contribute to a healthier future.”
About Nestlé in China
Nestlé has been rooted in China for over 30 years, providing consumers with tastier and healthier choices and creating shared value for shareholders and society. China is now the second biggest market for Nestlé. The company has 31 production sites, three R&D and four innovation centers, a food safety institute, a dairy farming institute and one coffee center. Nestlé employs about 43,000 people in China.