Built on 175 years of chocolate heritage, the Barry Callebaut Group was born in 1996 when Belgian company Callebaut and Cacao Barry, a French firm, merged their businesses. Today, Barry Callebaut is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland and forms both the heart and engine of the world’s chocolate industry. At every step of the way, from materials sourcing and product development to customer service, enthusiasm and passion continue to be the driving forces behind this corporation. Its ambition: to be top of mind in all relevant consumer segments.

To that aim, the company has mastered the art of chocolate-making: “We use the techniques and rely on the knowhow of some of the world’s best chocolatiers. This enables us to skillfully process cocoa beans into the finest chocolate products,” explains Masha Vis-Mertens, vice president of Operations and Supply Chain Organization EMEA for Barry Callebaut Group. “In addition to the professional artisans and chefs who use our premium chocolate, we also provide global and regional food manufacturers with our chocolate and cocoa products. As a result, there is Barry Callebaut in 25% of all chocolate and cocoa products sold worldwide.”

“As a result of growing global demand for Barry Callebaut products, it was necessary to prepare for even more growth in the future, increase our efficiency to benefit our customers and employees and support greater mobility. The realization of our new global distribution center is a perfect example of our smart growth strategy, which is based on four long-term priorities for above-market growth: expansion, innovation, cost leadership and sustainability.”

“Lokeren was the obvious choice for the expansion of our business. It’s ideally located between Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels – where most of our local customers are. The proximity of our two main production sites in Wieze and Halle will allow us to optimize our logistics flow to and from the distribution center. With this, Lokeren will also become a real export hub because, via the Port of Antwerp, we have our main export gateway nearby.”

The expansion follows the company’s 2017 capacity investments in its production lines in Halle and Wieze, Flanders – which can be considered the home of Belgian chocolate, as their roots go back to 1911. “We continue to reinvest in our local sites, demonstrating our loyalty and commitment,” says Vis-Mertens. “All current employees of the logistics center in Aalst will make the switch to Lokeren, and we also expect the new center to create more jobs.”