New Lay’s Production Lines for PepsiCo in Romania

PepsiCo recently announced the expansion of the Popești-Leordeni factory's production capacity and its transformation into a European production and distribution hub. The USD100m investment, announced last year and scheduled for completion in 2024, was vital to meeting this lofty target.

This involved building a new automated warehouse as well as adding three more working production lines. Significant automation advancements were also made, and the PepsiCo snack factory's new development plan was created.

The factory in Popești-Leordeni currently has an annual production capacity of 39,000 tons and serves 17 countries: Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Ukraine, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

“Through our investments, we are transforming PepsiCo Romania into an important production and distribution center for Central and South-Eastern Europe. This evolution reflects our commitment to sustainability, technology, and the development of the local economy. By almost completely localizing our portfolio and creating jobs with greater complexity, we aim to benefit Romania and the region. We also focus on reducing our carbon footprint and operational efficiency, contributing to a better future for all,” Radu Berevoescu, General Manager & Senior Commercial Director of East Balkans, declared, cited by Revista Progresiv.

Almost 95% of PepsiCo Romania's product portfolio, including Lay's, Star, and Doritos, has been localized for the Romanian market after the installation of new production lines. The automated warehouse is scheduled to open in the first part of the following year. It will have an auto-palletizer installed, which will fully automate the connection between the production lines and the warehouse, maximizing productivity. As part of its efforts to meet the long-term objectives of the pep+ agenda, PepsiCo is investing in a new automated warehouse to instantly eliminate over 200 tons of direct greenhouse gas emissions that are generated by transfers between warehouses.

For more than 30 years, PepsiCo has conducted business and made investments in Romania. Over the past ten years, PepsiCo has made direct investments totaling USD 320 million in Romania, bolstering the company's ongoing growth and solidifying its position as the region's hub for production and distribution.