The Nantong branch of Kerry Group has seen a five-fold increase in sales volume since its establishment in Rudong county, Nantong in 2014, and has developed as a Chinese manufacturing and logistics center for the company.

Kerry Group, founded in Ireland in 1972, has become a world leader in the food and beverage industry known for the tastiness and nutrition of its products. The group has set up three R&D centers and more than 150 factories worldwide, with over 18,000 kinds of innovative products sold in over 150 countries around the world.

The Nantong branch is the largest among the four factories established by the group in China, with total investment exceeding 1 billion yuan ($14 million), and plays a significant role in the group's expansion in the country.

A researcher works on products at the Nantong branch of Kerry Group in Rudong county, Nantong. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

According to the general manager of the group's North Asian branches, the group chose to set up operations in Nantong due to the favorable location, advanced infrastructure, rich talent resources and technological innovation in the city.

Thirteen new production lines have been added in the third phase of the Nantong branch, as well as ultra-heat treated sterilization lines. When the three phases are all at full capacity, the annual sales revenue of the branch has the potential to reach 2.5 billion yuan in total.