Nestlé Waters North America Announces Completion of a $79 Million, Two-Year Expansion of its Lehigh Valley Bottling Facility
Local investment creates nearly 50 local jobs and strengthens company’s capacity to meet growing consumer demand
BREINIGSVILLE, Penn., July 7, 2017 /3BL Media/ - Nestlé Waters North America today announced that a two-year, $79 million expansion of its Nestlé® Pure Life® East bottling facility in Breinigsville, PA is complete.
With the addition of nearly 50 employees to operate three new, high-speed bottling lines, the project represents a significant investment in the company’s $354 million Lehigh Valley Campus.
“Nestlé Waters is proud to be an active member of the Lehigh Valley community -- both as an employer and a community partner,” said Nestlé Waters Plant Manager Mike Franceschetti. “Our decision to continue investing in the Lehigh Valley underscores our long-term commitment to the region, and we look forward to continued growth in the years ahead.”
Production Line 17, completed first in late 2015, was a $23 million investment that expanded bottling operations for Nestlé Waters’ 0.5-liter bottled water products. The company invested $56 million to build Production Lines 18 and 19, which are now making 8-ounce, 0.5-liter, 700-milliliter and 1-liter products.
“Nestlé Waters’ continued commitment to the Lehigh Valley is demonstrated by its consistent growth and this latest addition of nearly 50 jobs validates the key role the company plays in the Valley’s manufacturing sector,” said Tony Lannelli, CEO of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Nestlé Waters opened its first Lehigh Valley bottling plant in 1995 with 75 local employees. In the subsequent 22 years, employment has increased by over 500 percent as a second manufacturing facility was built and operations continued to grow. Today, the company employs approximately 500 people at its two Allentown bottling facilities, which have a combined payroll of more than $36 million. These jobs are connected to water resources at seven, sustainably-managed spring sites in eastern Pennsylvania.
Nestlé Pure Life® and Deer Park® Brand Natural Spring Water products are distributed from the Breinigsville facility to major retail and grocery customers throughout Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic.
“The growth of our Nestlé Pure Life bottling facility is being driven by overwhelming consumer demand for healthier beverage options,” said Tara Carraro, Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Nestlé Waters North America. “We are proud of the role our products play in helping consumers achieve healthier lifestyles.”
Amid the expansion, Nestlé Waters has committed to Pennsylvania’s environmental future just as much as its economic future. The Nestlé Pure Life East plant was the first food manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. The company has achieved a 100 percent recycling rate at its Allentown Campus, decreased the number of tanker trucks on the road annually by 1,200, and reduced the PET plastic content of its 0.5-liter water bottles by over 60 percent since 1994.
Nestlé Waters is also focused on being a good community partner for the long term. In 2016 alone, the company sponsored or hosted water education programs for some 3,000 local students, supported non-profits and community organizations in our spring communities with more than $100,000 in charitable contributions, and donated some 140,000 bottles of water to valuable local partners such as the Allentown Health Bureau’s Fruit & Veggies On The Move Program and the Allentown Rescue Mission.
About Nestlé Waters North America
Nestlé Waters North America provides people with an unrivaled portfolio of bottled waters for healthy hydration. Brands such as Deer Park®, Nestlé® Pure Life®, Perrier®, and S. Pellegrino®have driven Nestlé Waters North America to be the third largest non-alcoholic beverage company by volume in the U.S. Based in Stamford, Connecticut with about 8,500 employees, Nestlé Waters is committed to reducing its environmental footprint across operations. As a natural resource company, Nestlé Waters sustainably manages nearly 50 spring sites, as well as nearly 14,000 acres of watershed as open space. The company is also committed to creating shared value and being a good neighbor in the 140 communities where it operates in the U.S.
