Leading global food and beverage company PepsiCo announces millionaire investment in Uruguay

Pepsi Cola Manufacturing Company of Uruguay (PepsiCo) will invest again in Uruguay. This time it will do so with a US$ 64 million investment, with the aim of expanding 60% of its production capacity in the free trade zone of Colonia, where its concentrate plant operates and from where it exports to 21 countries in the region and other markets in the world.

The investment will expand its industrial area by 6,000 square meters and will continue to use state-of-the-art technology and meet the objectives of the global sustainability agenda.

The legal stability and confidence in the current management of the country, which guarantees future security for the company, were the factors that influenced the choice of Uruguay at the time of establishing the investment, explained the executive director of PepsiCo for Latin America, Paula Santilli. "I personally thanked Lacalle Pou for this stability and framework that gives us security like never before," she said.

The President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou, celebrated the trust placed by the company in the country, which will bring sources of qualified employment and the incorporation of advanced technology. "Uruguay is a stable and open country for investments", he said.

Likewise, the PepsiCo representative for the continent congratulated the government for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the promotion of responsible practices during the health emergency and the promotion of safety in all workplaces.

The President and Santilli held a meeting on Thursday, September 2 at the Executive Tower, which was also attended by the Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining, Omar Paganini, and a delegation from the company, including the head of the concentrates plant, Martín Chacin, and the company's financial manager, Mario Maneyro.

PepsiCo has been present in Uruguay for more than 60 years through its food, beverage and concentrate business units. During the meeting held at the Executive Tower, the relationship forged during the 30 years of the company's presence in the department of Colonia was also highlighted.

Minister Paganini highlighted the trust placed in Uruguay by large and globally recognized companies such as PepsiCo, which has a direct impact on the inhabitants of the interior of the country. "Uruguay is positioning itself well after the pandemic to continue its development and growth," he said.

Uruguay is positioned as the main producer of beverage concentrates in Latin America.

PepsiCo has eight concentrate plants in the world, the main input for the preparation of carbonated beverages. The one located in the free trade zone of Colonia is the one that exports to all Latin America.

The concentrates produced in Uruguay enable bottling plants around the world to manufacture the entire PepsiCo product portfolio, which includes global brands such as Pepsi, Seven Up, Mirinda and Gatorade, among others.

Pepsi Cola Manufacturing Company of Uruguay (PepsiCo) will invest again in Uruguay. This time it will do so with a US$ 64 million investment, with the aim of expanding 60% of its production capacity in the free trade zone of Colonia, where its concentrate plant operates and from where it exports to 21 countries in the region and other markets in the world.

The investment will expand its industrial area by 6,000 square meters and will continue to use state-of-the-art technology and meet the objectives of the global sustainability agenda.

The legal stability and confidence in the current management of the country, which guarantees future security for the company, were the factors that influenced the choice of Uruguay at the time of establishing the investment, explained the executive director of PepsiCo for Latin America, Paula Santilli. "I personally thanked Lacalle Pou for this stability and framework that gives us security like never before," she said.

The President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou, celebrated the trust placed by the company in the country, which will bring sources of qualified employment and the incorporation of advanced technology. "Uruguay is a stable and open country for investments", he said.

Likewise, the PepsiCo representative for the continent congratulated the government for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the promotion of responsible practices during the health emergency and the promotion of safety in all workplaces.

The President and Santilli held a meeting on Thursday, September 2 at the Executive Tower, which was also attended by the Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining, Omar Paganini, and a delegation from the company, including the head of the concentrates plant, Martín Chacin, and the company's financial manager, Mario Maneyro.

PepsiCo has been present in Uruguay for more than 60 years through its food, beverage and concentrate business units. During the meeting held at the Executive Tower, the relationship forged during the 30 years of the company's presence in the department of Colonia was also highlighted.

Minister Paganini highlighted the trust placed in Uruguay by large and globally recognized companies such as PepsiCo, which has a direct impact on the inhabitants of the interior of the country. "Uruguay is positioning itself well after the pandemic to continue its development and growth," he said.

Uruguay is positioned as the main producer of beverage concentrates in Latin America.

PepsiCo has eight concentrate plants in the world, the main input for the preparation of carbonated beverages. The one located in the free trade zone of Colonia is the one that exports to all Latin America.

The concentrates produced in Uruguay enable bottling plants around the world to manufacture PepsiCo's entire product portfolio, which includes global brands such as Pepsi, Seven Up, Mirinda and Gatorade, among others.

The factory in Uruguay, which employs some 200 people directly and another 200 indirectly, has been operating in the country for 30 years and is the main exporter in the Colonia free trade zone. Its operation is responsible for 6% of the country's total sales abroad, according to information from Uruguay XXI.

Through the agreement signed in 2020 with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Grupo Continental Zona Franca, PepsiCo will secure its presence in the zone for 20 more years and, in return, will implement its expansion plans with the corresponding increase in skilled jobs.

Legal security, quality of life conditions and the genuine talent of human resources are factors highlighted by the company to start a new investment in Uruguay, explained Martín Chacin and Mario Maneyro to Comunicación Presidencial.

Chacin also acknowledged the political and economic stability provided by the country and maintained that the investments and growth projected by the organization would not have been possible without the virtues offered by a free trade zone. "We cover all markets from Mexico to Argentina," he said.

For his part, Maneyro pointed out that the company seeks to generate more capacity and, in this way, absorb new volumes to supply its main markets in Latin America. He also highlighted the pride they feel in remaining in the interior of the country, which implies a decentralization of the sector and the strengthening of human capital outside the metropolitan area.

In addition to the concentrates unit, the company has a food production plant in the country and, in association with Fábricas Nacionales de Cerveza (FNC), a bottling plant. Considering these three devices, direct jobs amount to 800 and indirect jobs to about 8,000.

Source: Presidency