The Barry Callebaut Group, Zurich, held an inauguration ceremony for its first chocolate factory in Chile on Dec. 2. The state-of-the-art facility in Paine, located approximately 40 kilometers from Santiago, has an initial annual production capacity of about 25,000 tonnes of liquid chocolate and compound.

The factory will serve as a regional base for Barry Callebaut to tap into the rapidly growing Chilean chocolate market, while capturing new opportunities in the broader Andean region. It also will serve as a regional sales and management headquarters.

“The inauguration of our new factory in Chile further confirms our commitment to serving customers throughout Latin America,” said Juergen Steinemann, CEO of the Barry Callebaut Group. “As the global popularity of chocolate continues to grow, our focus remains on expanding into emerging markets to better serve our customers, [which are] food manufacturers and confectionery companies. Chile is an attractive market for growth, as are neighboring countries like Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Peru.”

Speaking at a press conference prior to the inauguration ceremony, Gerardo Elizondo, the Barry Callebaut Group’s general manager for the Andean Region added, “There is a significant growth momentum of the Chilean chocolate market compared to other Latin American markets. The growth potential includes a fast-growing demand for high-quality chocolate, technical services and innovations. That’s where we can offer added value to our customers.”