Hungarian multinational company Szentkirályi Magyarország Kft. has plans to move the bottling of Pepsi soft drinks, which is currently carried out in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Romania for the Hungarian market, to Szentkirály, Hungary, the company said in response to a request from Világgazdaság. The move could take place as early as next year.
In its response, the company said that the details of the project are being worked out and that it is not in a position to disclose information on the timing or expected costs and volumes until a final decision is made.
The Hungarian billionaire who runs Szentkirályi, Levente Balogh, first spoke on Frizbi TV that if all goes according to plan, Pepsi bottling will be in Szentkirály from autumn 2024.
The US company’s Hungarian interests were acquired by Central Europe Mineral Water Holding (CEMW) back in 2018, making it the exclusive Hungarian distributor of PepsiCo soft drinks and food products, including 7Up and Lays, and the holder of franchise rights.
Levente Balogh. Photo: Facebook/Balogh Levente hivatalos oldala
The Czech holding company was founded in 2015 by Levente Balogh with the Italian Pasquale family, who own the Mattoni 1873 Group, and following the transaction the Hungarian businessman became a significant minority shareholder and has since held the position of Chairman. Under the terms of the agreement, Szentkirályi Ásványvíz Kft. was merged into CEMW, which then acquired Kékkúti Ásványvíz Zrt. from Nestlé. Three years later, the company inaugurated a new plant hall and bottling line at its Szentkirály site, which was completed with €7 million of its own funds.
Szentkirályi’s mineral water is one of the most popular brands among Hungarians. Photo: Facebook/Szentkirályi Ásványvíz
Szentkirályi Ásványvíz Kft. is best known for its mineral water, and lately, the company has divulged into the cosmetics sector as well with the Vízangyal (Water Angel) beauty product line. The Szentkirályi Mineral Water-based moisturizing baby bath and shampoo, body lotions, hand creams, refreshing shower gels, soaps, and collagen drinks bring the experience of naturalness with the purity of mineral water. For years, Levente Balogh, the founder of the brand, has been working with the help of professional experts to ensure that the treasure-worthy Szentkirály Mineral Water can be used not only for internal but also for external purposes. In addition, after the launch of its first products, Vízangyal has opened a lifestyle center where guests can enjoy internal and external hydration in one place.
Photo: Facebook/Vízangyal beauty
Levente Balogh, who is also one of the main characters in the investment show Shark Tank, summed up the company’s situation by saying that “it has been doing well for a while now.” He added that it could be doing better, but that it was “very buffeted” by the energy crisis and that he was not complaining because many companies had gone bankrupt on the market.
Featured photo via Pixabay