Sumol+Compal announced this month in Almeirim a €65 million investment plan to be made by 2021 to double storage and shipping capacity, reduce CO2 footprint and adopt more environmentally friendly packaging.
The announcement was made during a visit by the Prime Minister, António Costa, and the Deputy Minister and Minister of Economy, Pedro Siza Vieira, to the Almeirim plant, by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sumol+Compal, António Eusébio. He said that this is the company’s “largest multi-annual investment program” and the partnership with Tetra Pak, which enables the Compal brand to be the first in the world to use a new packaging “more environmentally friendly, more functional, ergonomic and lightweight.”
During the visit was shown the first line of the new generation of “complex cardboard” packaging, installed in Almeirim plant, chosen to carry out the “filed test” of this equipment. The new package has a polyethylene cap, made from sugar cane, and a 15% lower weight than the current packaging, with a reduction of about 200 tonnes/year of materials consumed, including fossil-based plastic.
On the other hand, the construction of a warehouse in an area of 12,000 square meters is underway, with an expected expansion area of 3,000 square meters, which will increase the cargo capacity from 25,000 to 55,000 pallets and the number of shipping docks from 19 to 39, said Antonio Eusébio.
Sumol+Compal has six plants, four in Portugal, one in Mozambique and one in Angola, having recently started franchising operations in Gabon and Cameroon. It has about 1,600 employees in five countries. The company incorporates 120 tons of fruit in its products, per year, 30% of national origin, and employs about 1,600 people, 1,200 of which in Portugal.
Exporting to around 70 countries, turnover in international markets amounted to about 83 million euros in 2018, which represents about 25% of total turnover, according to data provided by the company.
