German sweets giant Haribo announced a significant investment of around €300m ($326.5m) in a new production plant in Neuss, North Rhine-Westphalia. The site will focus on producing Maoam chewy sweets and Haribo fruit-flavoured gums.
The company acquired 14 hectares of land at the Neuss-Holzheim industrial park for the new plant, which is set to commence construction next year and be completed by 2028.
Haribo’s existing plant on Jülicher Landstrasse cannot accommodate future growth demands, necessitating the new facility in Neuss-Holzheim, which will have double the production capacity.
The company plans to operate both Neuss-Holzheim and Jülicher Landstrasse in parallel until 2030, after which the latter will cease operations. This transition aims to allow for gradual employee training.
In line with its sustainability goals, Haribo intends to make the new factory “net-zero ready” and explore hydrogen as a primary energy source. The investment is expected to create 100 new full-time jobs and generate additional economic opportunities in the region.
Markus Riegelein, Haribo’s COO, emphasized the company’s commitment to sustainable production and future-proofing its operations through renewable energy sources and reduced carbon footprint.
Haribo’s investment in the Neuss plant aligns with its global production strategy and aims to drive the business towards a more climate-friendly future.
Previous factory investments include a £22m ($28m) injection into UK plants in 2021 to expand production of reduced-sugar sweets.
