Capella Baltica, a Spanish cosmetics and food industry supplier, has just signed a 10M EUR investment deal to build a 2500 sq. m powder and oil extract production plant and laboratory at the Klaipeda Free Economic Zone. The company plans to employ up to 40 engineers, biochemists and other specialists at the Klaipeda facility to supply customers from EU, US, Canada and Asia.
Capella has developed an innovative dimethyl ether-based extraction technology that paves the way for the non-toxic and waste free production of various plant extracts including coffee bean-derived oils and extracts for the cosmetics, food, pharmaceutical and other industries. Having spent more than two years developing and patenting its technology, Capella is now ready to begin production that it projects will reach around 5 tons per day.
Evgeny Strazding, the CEO of Capella, explained that it was Klaipeda‘s ability to provide the ideal combination of logistics, highly qualified talent pool and lucrative fiscal incentives that made it an excellent location for its operations.
“Our products are key ingredients in the production of cosmetics; hence, we are targeting regions with high cosmetics use such as Europe, Northern America, as well as Asia-Pacific. At the same time, our main sources of raw materials will be South American. With its excellent location at the crossroads of our markets and state of the art logistics infrastructure, Klaipeda is a perfectly convenient and efficient point for our operations,” Mr Strazding stated.
He also praised Klaipeda’s academic community, its R&D, and its skills in engineering and biochemistry – all of which will be key commodities for Capella’s operations going forward.
The construction of Capella’s factory is set to commence this summer, with its launch scheduled for May next year. Its 2500 sq. m complex will include a production facility, office and storage areas, as well as a laboratory.
Capella’s ‘‘greenfield’ investment amounts to 10M EUR, including equipment, with Mr Strazding adding that the company is currently analyzing the local market’s potential as a source of equipment, raw materials and various services.
Eimantas Kiudulas, the CEO of Klaipeda FEZ, salutes Capella’s decision to launch operations in Klaipeda.
“I believe Capella and Klaipeda is the perfect match. Capella’s innovation and human resource needs are in line with Klaipeda’s ambition to become a regional blue economy hub, while the fact that Capella’s complex logistics can be solved in our city stresses the importance of our unique location and strength of our transport infrastructure,” – Mr. Kiudulas said.
Simas Simanauskas, CEO of Klaipeda Economic Development Agency, added, “Capella’s investment marks an important step in Klaipeda’s drive towards increasing its share in the bioeconomy. It demonstrates trust in the maturity of our food industry expertise and our readiness to move to a more value-added R&D and production activities.”
There are currently, 28 investors operating in Klaipeda FEZ. Capella joins an ecosystem than already includes biofuel, food, chemical and other related industries. Capella’s investment is already the second to be announced in 2018 – last month Focus Fabrication Group, an oil&gas piping producer, signed a 4M EUR investment deal.
Read more about Klaipeda Free Economic Zone here: https://www.fez.lt/
