Nestlé Lays Foundation for Turkey's First Medical Nutrition Factory

Nestlé, the world's leading food company, has achieved a first in Turkey as one of the earliest global investors in the history of the Republic. The Swiss-based company laid the foundation for Turkey's first Medical Nutrition Factory under the Nestlé Health Science umbrella in the Republic's 97th year. The groundbreaking ceremony held on Friday, 30 October at the company's production facilities in Bursa Karacabey was attended by numerous Ministry representatives, headed by T.C. Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank. With its chocolate factory opened in Istanbul Feriköy in 1927, Nestlé was one of the first global industrial investors in the history of the Republic. In the Republic's 97th year, Nestlé laid the foundation for Turkey's first Medical Nutrition Products factory. The foundation stone of the factory to be built within Nestlé's production facility in Karacabey district of Bursa, where the company has been operating for 114 years, was laid at a ceremony held on 30 October 2020. The ceremony was attended by T.C. Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank and numerous Ministry representatives. The event, hosted by Nestlé Turkey Marketing and Corporate Communications Director and Board Member Zeynep Sungu and Nestlé Health Science Turkey General Manager and Board Member Hanzade Yaz, was also attended by Bursa Governor Yakup Canbolat, AK Party Members of Parliament from Bursa Hakan Çavuşoğlu, Efkan Ala, Ahmet Kılıç, Refik Özen, Osman Mesten, Mustafa Esgin, Bursa Metropolitan Mayor Alinur Aktaş, AK Party Bursa Provincial Chairman Ayhan Salman, Karacabey District Governor Tahsin Kurtbeyoğlu, and Karacabey Mayor Ali Özkan. Nestlé Turkey CEO Ansgar Bornemann joined the meeting via live connection and delivered the opening address of the ceremony.

"Largest Investment Since 2011"

Speaking at the ceremony, T.C. Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank made the following remarks on Nestlé Turkey's new investment: "Nestlé, which has been operating in Turkey for 114 years, is laying the foundation for our country's first medical nutrition factory in Bursa. This facility will be Nestlé's largest investment in our country since 2011. This factory, to be built with a new investment of TRY 250 million, will provide employment for 400 people directly and indirectly. The company has a similar investment in China. After China, it is for the first time, taking into account the potential our country carries, that they are building such a factory in Bursa. When production begins, 63 per cent of our medical nutrition products imports will be able to be met from Turkey. I thank Nestlé for trusting our country and bringing this critical investment. Of course, we have an expectation from you. Nestlé has one of the world's largest R&D networks in the food and beverage sector. We are talking about a global brand that invests over USD 1.7 billion in R&D annually. From this perspective, we would like Nestlé to further expand its R&D team in Turkey and establish an R&D centre in Bursa. This way, you can benefit from the incentives we provide, and give our trained workforce the opportunity to take the Nestlé brand even further."

Historic Contribution to Turkey's Growth

Nestlé Turkey CEO Ansgar Bornemann, stating that Nestlé has been operating in Turkey for 114 years, made the following remarks on the new investment which will be the company's 5th factory in Turkey: "With our new facility, we will not only meet an important need in this field but also contribute to strengthening Turkey's economy. Nestlé opened its first sales point in Karaköy in 1909 and has maintained its presence on these lands for 114 years. The chocolate factory established in Feriköy in 1927, which was one of the first international investments in the history of the Republic, is considered a symbol of Nestlé's faith and confidence in these lands. As one of the country's first global investors, we pioneered many firsts in Turkey; introducing our consumers to the first hazelnut chocolate, the first instant coffee and the like. In the 97th year of the Republic, whose early witness we have been since the beginning, we are again making a first with a pioneering investment. It is particularly gratifying for us to contribute to Turkey, one of the fast-growing and long-standing valuable markets in the Nestlé world. I express my gratitude to the T.C. Ministry of Industry and Technology for enabling the implementation of our new factory, and to our esteemed Minister Mustafa Varank present at today's ceremony." Ansgar Bornemann, noting that the medical nutrition products to be produced in the new factory will be exported abroad, stated: "By transferring 100 per cent of the production of our oral medical nutrition products to these lands, we will be producing locally a large portion of products currently sourced from abroad. Furthermore, following the commencement of operations at our factory, we will pioneer the export of products manufactured on these lands to all corners of the world and take on another important role in the country's economic development."

Nestlé Health Science Türkiye General Manager and Board Member Hanzade Yaz, stating that Nestlé Health Science, which has been operating in Turkey in the medical nutrition field since July 2007, is the first company to start locally producing medical nutrition products in Turkey, said: "In Turkey, our local production initiatives begun since last year are based on the Health Ministry's Localization Action Plan in Health Industries within the framework of the 10th Development Plan. As Nestlé Health Science, we have taken two steps in this scope:

The first of these was the commencement in 2020 of the first local production of our Medical Nutrition Products with a contracted manufacturer in Balıkesir. We take pride and pleasure in pioneering local production of medical nutrition products in Turkey. The factory, whose foundation we will lay today, is the second step of the localization movement and carries historic value for both Nestlé Health Science and Turkey. With our new factory opened in line with the program, we will pioneer the beginning of a new era in medical nutrition products manufacturing and transfer all relevant technological know-how to our country," she said. The factory, which is targeted to become operational in August 2021, will produce all 29 oral medical nutrition products of the company. The factory, which is planned to receive a total investment of TRY 250 million over the next three years, will also serve as a product development hub for Nestlé Health Science with its strong infrastructure equipped with high-level technology.