A new U.S. competitor arrives into Colombia's food sector. In the next few days Dole Food Company, the fruit and vegetable multinational, will begin building a production and distribution facility, from which they will supply the domestic market, and that will, in the medium term, have the ability to export.
The arrival of the company into the country has required an investment of $18 million dollars for the acquisition of 8 hectares between the towns of Madrid and Facatativá Cundinamarca, in addition to the equipment and technology needed for its operation.
80 direct jobs will be generated.
This factory, which will operate under the name of Tropics in the country, will begin operations in May next year.
Ivan Ramirez, project manager, explained that the company would produce the fresh cut range fruits and vegetables.
They will be sold in supermarkets such as Exito, Jumbo, Olympica, Surtifruver and La 14; in the country's Coffee region they will be sold in Jerónimo Martins and Superinter.
The expected sales in the first year are $7 million dollars, and then over 10 million, Ramirez added.
Dole Food will start working in the country with a range of 17 products that, in the medium term, approximately two years, it'll export to Panama and Venezuela, where the company has identified the possibility of expanding.
The company's arrival into Colombia comes after two years of negotiating in which Invest in Bogota and Proexport Colombia played a key role in market research and consultancy for the investment and development of this business.
Source: portafolio.co