The construction of the largest and most environmentally sustainable PepsiCo snack factory near Środa Śląska is proceeding according to the schedule. A team of about 300 people works on the construction site. A year has passed since the foundation stone was laid, and the plant is more than 50% ready for the official opening of the plant, which will take place in the first half of 2023. The plant’s director has also been appointed.
On the construction site of the new PepsiCo snack production plant, work is in full swing. The steel structure, external wall sheathing and the roof and its insulation on an area of approx. 70,000 sqm have been completed. In most of the production space of the new plant, floors are poured and resin substrates are laid. The assembly of technological equipment and production lines will soon begin. The individual rooms of the office part and the social facilities begin to become visible. The total roofed area of the production and warehouse plant with a modern treatment plant will amount to over 55,000 sqm. An automated high-bay warehouse is also being built. The entire investment, divided into two stages, will be completed by 2025.
The factory in Środa Śląska will be the most environmentally sustainable PepsiCo plant in Europe. Innovative solutions were taken into account at the design stage. A unique technology will be collecting and recovering rainwater for the plant’s needs. The collected water, after treatment in the nanofiltration process, will be used in technical processes. Work is also underway on an on-site wastewater treatment plant, the capacity of which will amount to 1,600 m3 per day. The methods used in biological reactors are patented and unique in the world. The purified water will be of the “standard river” class. Innovative solutions in the area of ecology will also include the Heating Recovery System – for the needs of building infrastructure, hot water for washing (CIP – Cleaning In Place) obtained from the cooking oil cooling process and water recovery from the potato cutting process and its return to the initial rinsing the potato.
“The smooth progress of the new PepsiCo plant project is possible thanks to the joint efforts of a well-coordinated and reliable design, construction and PepsiCo support teams. It is a comprehensive undertaking, therefore it requires the cooperation of various specialists on many levels. Our work in the project is distinguished by reliability, top-class engineering expertise and a friendly team atmosphere,” said Krzysztof Dudziński, Senior Project Leader at PepsiCo Polska, who oversees the construction of the new plant.
The new PepsiCo factory next to Środa Śląska has so far employed approx. 40 people. These are people performing various functions – mainly in managerial and specialist positions, such as: warehouse manager, production manager, maintenance department, quality department, health and safety department, and production planner. Currently, automation specialists, specialists and technicians for the wastewater treatment department, machine operators, maintenance technicians, as well as laboratory workers are in demand. The target employment in the new factory will be approximately 500 people. Recruitment activities are conducted mainly among the local community.
The level of advancement of current works at the PepsiCo facility requires comprehensive actions both in the technical and operational areas. From September 2022, the functional side of the plant is managed by Tomasz Bronny, who works as the Senior Manager of the Production Plant near Środa Śląska. Previously, Tomasz for 2 years managed, inter alia, the PepsiCo Polska snack factory in Grodzisk Mazowiecki. He successfully pursued his business goals there. He was known primarily as a very good leader and member of the team.
“The new factory is the future of PepsiCo. As its manager I will deal with, among others recruitment, training, process implementation and work necessary to start production. I have a big challenge ahead of me because the new PepsiCo production facility is a huge undertaking. Efficient production, quality and safety of the factory near Środa Śląska are created by wonderful people from PepsiCo involved with me in this innovative project,” said Tomasz Bronny.
From the technical point of view, the operation on the construction site of the facility was successfully supervised by Krzysztof Dudziński, Senior Project Leader, from the moment the cornerstone was laid for its construction last year. He will manage further technical works in the complex – completion of the construction of individual facilities, installation and commissioning of technological lines and the opening of the factory in accordance with the adopted assumptions.
At the new PepsiCo plant in Środa Śląska, potatoes will be used to produce Lay’s, Lay’s Oven Baked chips, and Doritos nachos from corn. These products will go to over 20 European countries. Currently, PepsiCo Polska permanently cooperates with 80 farms supplying potatoes produced in 100% in a sustainable manner on an area of 5,800 hectares. Thanks to the creation of a new factory, PepsiCo will establish cooperation with a dozen more Polish farms, also in the region, offering them support in the modernization of means of production and cultivation techniques.
