ROMONT and LAUSANNE, Switzerland, September 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Nestlé Nespresso today inaugurated its new production centre in Romont, in the presence of Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs Johann Schneider-Ammann, State Councillor and Minister of Economic Affairs and Employment at the Canton of Fribourg Beat Vonlanthen, and Mayor of Romont Roger Brodard. This is the third Nespresso site built inSwitzerland since 2002, after Avenches and Orbe.
"This production centre represents a strategic, long-term investment to meet the growing global consumer demand for the highest quality Nespresso coffees in the coming years," said Paul Bulcke, CEO of Nestlé SA. "It will not only contribute to the success of Nespresso in the growing portioned coffee segment, but also to the local, regional and national economic and social dynamism. Once again it demonstrates our affinity for our home country, with which we share values such as excellence and innovation."
A true centre of coffee excellence and expertise, the Romont production centre was built in just over two years and represents aCHF300 million total investment. Since 2002 Nespresso has invested more than CHF1.1 billion in its industrial facilities in the cantons of Vaud and Fribourg.
In addition to the classic Nespresso capsules, the site will also produce the 14 Grands Crus for VertuoLine, a machine with revolutionary extraction technology, which was successfully launched in March 2014 in the United States and Canada. This machine was designed to cater to the North American preferences for large-cup coffees.
"With the production of VertuoLine capsules, Romont will support our significant growth ambitions in North America. Driven by innovation, the portioned coffee industry, which represents over USD5 billion, is growing strongly in that region. With VertuoLine, we have the right product to meet the increasing demand," said Jean-Marc Duvoisin, CEO of Nestlé Nespresso SA.
First LEED® Gold certified production centre in Switzerland
Romont is the first production centre in Switzerland, and thus the first factory for Nestlé in Switzerland as well, to achieve the LEED® Gold certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This certification not only covers the energy- and water-efficiency of an industrial building, it also weighs aspects such as employees' health and wellbeing at the workplace, and infrastructure for environmentally friendly mobility. Some examples of the various initiatives carried out by Nespresso to meet the LEED® requirements include the use of 20% recycled construction materials and an 18% decrease of the site's energy consumption thanks to heat recovery from the roasters, triple glazing and the use of LED lighting.
The LEED® certification extends Nespresso's sustainability commitments and forms part of its global sustainability strategy, The Positive Cup.
A Swiss company with global reach, Nespresso chose to establish its third production centre in Romont due to the Swiss excellence and know-how, the solid and reliable infrastructure and a skilled workforce, all strategic factors that guarantee the quality that Nespresso stands for.
