PepsiCo Completes Major Investment, Launches State-of-the-Art Automated Warehouse in Popești-Leordeni
PepsiCo has recently announced the completion of a significant investment project exceeding USD100 million with the inauguration of an automated warehouse at its Popești-Leordeni snack factory in Romania. This milestone marks the conclusion of a strategic initiative that began in 2022, aiming to enhance the facility’s production and distribution capabilities.
The substantial investment included the construction of the advanced automated warehouse and the addition of three new production lines to the snack manufacturing plant. With these enhancements, the factory now boasts an annual production capacity of 39,000 tons, distributing products to 17 countries including the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Ukraine, and Kosovo.
Constructed over the span of a year, the state-of-the-art warehouse represents an investment of USD33.5 million. The facility encompasses 32,500 square meters, featuring a 34-meter-tall high-bay storage area with a total capacity of 23,500 pallets and the ability to process up to 320 pallets per hour. This high-tech warehouse will centralize operations, transforming the Popești-Leordeni factory into a strategic regional hub for Central and Southeastern Europe.
Radu Berevoescu, General Manager & Senior Commercial Director East Balkans at PepsiCo Romania, emphasized the significance of this investment: “The completion of this investment marks an important step in centralizing all our operations in one location, transforming our factory into a strategic regional hub for Central and Southeastern Europe. With its impressive production and storage capacity, this facility will ensure efficient inventory control while reducing carbon emissions and operational costs.”
The facility is designed to be energy-independent, equipped with a photovoltaic panel system boasting a 700 kWp installed capacity. This sustainable approach aligns with PepsiCo’s pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) agenda, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 500 tons annually. The warehouse’s efficiency improvements are expected to eliminate over 9,000 transfer trucks and reduce the carbon footprint of pallet storage fivefold over a year.
PepsiCo has a long-standing presence in Romania, operating for over 30 years and investing USD320 million in the past decade alone. This continuous investment supports the company’s growth in Romania and reinforces its role as a key production and distribution hub in the region.
