PepsiCo General Manager in Argentina Reaffirms Importance of Production

The general manager of Pepsico Argentina, Pablo Garcia, mentioned that its company is an important player in potato, corn and oats in the South American country and denied the company has increased imports, after the closure of the plant in Buenos Aires, in June 2017.

During an interview for lanacion.com.ar, Garcia recalled the closure of the plant in Florida, Buenos Aires, in June and said it was a very difficult decision but that "one of the main premises was the treatment of people involved." As for the current factory in Mar del Plata, he said that "not only was the productive capacity expanded, but also people were incorporated and a lot of investment is being made in the area."

The general manager denied the information that PepsiCo Argentina increased the imports and mentioned it exports 25% of internal production to Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile.

He said that in the Mar del Plata factory 10 years ago there were 70 employees and now there are more than 700. Garcia also added that in terms of production, the consumer becomes more sophisticated and looks for new varieties and in that sense Lay’s brand has extended its portfolio. “We have a very broad portfolio where we have snacks such as the Lay's brand, where we are investing heavily in more premium, more sophisticated snacks,” PepsiCo representative said.

Pepsico Argentina closed the Buenos Aires plant and relocated the snacks, cookies and drinks production to Mar del Plata. 691 jobs were axed in Buenos Aires. At that moment, PepsiCo, which has been in Argentina 58 years, said it decided to close the plant due to increased costs of the branch, which led to financial losses.

Photo source: dossiernet.com.ar