Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó talks with Lavrov by phone amid rising geopolitical strains. Continue reading
With the opening of Szentkirályi Magyarország Kft.’s new factory, Pepsi product manufacturing is returning to Hungary, announced Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, on Tuesday in Szentkirály (southern Hungary) .
As part of the investment, Pepsi drinks sold in Hungarian stores will no longer be imported from abroad but bottled locally in Hungary. At the factory opening, he emphasized that this development is part of Szentkirály’s approximately HUF 11 billion (EUR 27.27 million) investment program launched in 2021, for which the state provided HUF 3.8 billion (EUR 9.42 million) in support.
From now on, we will rely on domestic production instead of imports,”
said the Minister.
According to FM Szijjártó, the investment is not only of economic significance but also of emotional importance: “Bringing Pepsi production back home is not just an investment of HUF 11 billion (EUR 27.27 million), but also an important emotional issue. It matters to us that the Hungarian brands we have built up remain truly Hungarian brands.”
The Foreign Minister also highlighted the environmental impact. He said that local production will replace 1.5 million kilometers of truck traffic per year, and a new wastewater treatment plant has been built, the capacity of which has been expanded.
This development represents both environmental progress and economic growth,”
he added.
FM Szijjártó emphasized that the food industry is a strategically important sector in Hungary, providing jobs for more than 140,000 people. “Over the past ten years, 287 major food industry investments have been made, totaling HUF 1,400 billion (EUR 3.47 billion). This is one of the reasons why there are one million more people in work today than a decade ago,” he said, adding that the Hungarian food industry has held its own even during times of crisis.
In Hungary, we produce twice as much of everything in general as we can eat or drink,”
emphasized the Minister, pointing out that the sector also plays a key role in the growth of domestic exports.
Alessandro Pasquale, managing director and co-owner of Mattoni 1873, also attended the factory opening and emphasized that the company has invested around EUR 40 million (HUF 16.14 billion) in Hungary over the past ten years.
The domestic production of Pepsi products is a good example of how Hungarian industry is capable of performing at a world-class level,”
he said.
Mattoni 1873, one of the largest mineral water and soft drink manufacturers in the region, acquired the Hungarian Pepsi operation in 2018, and then joined forces with Levente Balogh, founder of Szentkirályi Ásványvíz, to create Szentkirályi Magyarország Kft., which is now one of the country’s leading food industry players.
The company achieved sales of approximately HUF 42.3 billion (EUR 104.84 million) last year, compared to HUF 30.6 billion (EUR 75.87 million) in 2023.
Via MTI, Featured photo: Pexels