Danone Invests €60m In Valencian Dairy Hub

This strategic move has transformed the facility into Danone’s largest in Spain and a key innovation centre, developing 180 new dairy products and serving several markets across Europe, including Portugal, Italy, France and the UK, ESM Magazine reports.

Local Business

The Aldaia complex, operational since 2002, works with a variety of businesses across a 25-kilometre radius, from local farms to packaging and logistics suppliers.

The facility produces 266 SKUs, including flagship brands like Activia, Actimel, Danacol and YoPRO. Production has surged by 60% in the last five years, reaching an annual volume of 250,000 tonnes.

Parets del Vallès

This growth includes the absorption of 90% of the production (exceeding 100,000 tonnes annually) of Danone’s former Parets del Vallès plant in Barcelona, which was sold last year to Bon Preu.

The relocation involved transferring existing machinery and incorporating new equipment, particularly for the Activia and Oikos lines. Danone invests €120 million annually in product value addition and R&D.

The Aldaia plant aims to produce ‘the most sustainable yogurt on the market’, the company noted, achieving 30% fewer carbon emissions and sourcing over 50% of its milk from local Valencian farms. The facility also boasts more than 5,000 solar panels, for energy efficiency.

Employing 364 people directly (with 100 new hires in the last year, 14 of whom came from Parets del Vallès), Danone estimates that the plant supports over 1,200 direct and indirect jobs in the region.

François Lacombe, general manager of Danone Iberia, highlighted that every euro invested by Danone generates €2.10 for the local economy and creates 2.2 additional jobs.