Ecotone invests €20m in plant-based beverage facility in Italy

Organic food and beverage company, Ecotone, has announced a €20 million investment at its plant-based drinks production facility in Badia Polesine, Northern Italy.

The 14,000-square-metre site produces organic plant-based beverages for brands including Bjorg, Bonneterre, Isola Bio, Abbott Kinney’s and EcoCest, and employs 163 people.

The investment – which has included the creation of a new production line – will enable Ecotone to produce an additional 27 million litres of plant-based beverages per year.

Christophe Barnouin, CEO of Ecotone, commented: “This major investment aims to strengthen Ecotone’s industrial competitiveness in a growing market for plant-based beverages. With a strong presence throughout Europe just like its brands, with nine production sites, including two in France, Ecotone is committed to its values and leading the way towards more innovation and sustainability in the food industry.”

He continued: “I would like to pay tribute to the unwavering mobilisation of the teams over the past three years, which has enabled the project to succeed and make the Badia Polesine factory a European industrial flagship”.

The investments made over the last three years and the opening of the additional production line have created 32 new jobs, and more hires are expected as production increases.

The investment is part of Ecotone’s strategy to “strengthen the competitiveness of its production sites,” with the company “focusing on innovation and automation while driving forward sustainability throughout its operations”.