Swiss food giant Nestlé has launched the first production line at its new vermicelli factory in Smolyhiv (Torchyn community, Lutsk district, Volyn region), the result of a CHF 40 million (approx. $50 million) investment announced 30 months ago, the company said in a press release on Monday, reports Interfax.
“The production capacity of the first line will allow the company to manufacture 5,000 tonnes of vermicelli by the end of 2025, with further capacity expansion planned as new lines open over the next two years,” the release states.
The Smolyhiv facility is Nestlé’s fourth factory in Ukraine in its 30 years of operations in the country.
“With the opening of the new factory, the company has created a European food production hub in Ukraine by combining the new Smolyhiv facility with its existing one in neighboring Torchyn,” the release notes.
Nestlé says it is expanding its vermicelli production to meet growing demand in both Europe and Ukraine under the Maggi and Mivina brands. The new factory is export-oriented: 75% of its products will be supplied to EU markets under the Maggi brand, increasing Ukraine’s foreign currency earnings. At the same time, 75% of the raw materials—primarily wheat and sunflower oil—will be sourced locally from Ukrainian suppliers.
“The factory’s advantageous location in western Ukraine creates ideal conditions for Nestlé to serve both the domestic and export markets,” said Alessandro Zanelli, CEO of Nestlé in Ukraine and Southeastern Europe, in the release.
He added that the facility features modern, digital, and fully automated production processes.
Ivan Rudnytskyi, head of the Volyn Regional State Administration, recalled that the region already hosts a Nestlé ketchup and sauce factory under the “Torchyn” brand and a distribution center. The launch of the new facility has created over 300 new jobs, with total employment in the Volyn production hub expected to exceed 1,500 in the near future.
Nestlé is one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, operating in 187 countries and offering a wide range of products and services for families and pets. It owns over 2,000 brands.
Nestlé began operations in Ukraine in 1994 with the opening of a representative office. In 1998, it acquired a controlling stake in the Lviv-based confectionery factory “Svitoch,” and by 2018 it owned 100% of the company. In May 2003, Nestlé Ukraine LLC was founded in Kyiv, and later that year Nestlé acquired 100% of “Volynholding.”
In 2010, Nestlé SA acquired Kharkiv-based Technocom LLC, the producer of Mivina instant products. In 2012, the company established Nestlé Business Services (NBS Europe) in Lviv—one of seven Nestlé service centers worldwide—supporting Nestlé units in more than 40 countries.
Nestlé’s business in Ukraine includes coffee and beverages, confectionery, culinary products (cold sauces, seasonings, soups, instant meals), baby and special nutrition, ready-to-eat cereals, and pet food.
At the end of last year, Zanelli reported that Nestlé’s production volume in Ukraine grew by 7–8% in 2024 and is expected to grow by 10% in 2025.
