Arca to open Bokados snacks plant in Mexico
MONTERREY, MEXICO — Arca Continental, S.A.B. de C.V., the second-largest Coca-Cola bottler in Latin America and the manufacturer and distributer of Bokados brand snack foods, has announced plans to open its third snacks plant for the brand. The opening is part of a broader strategic plan to expand Bokados’ brand presence and coverage throughout Mexico.
Arca Continental said the new plant will be located in El Marques in the state of Querétaro and will require an investment of approximately 300 million pesos ($13.7 million). Once completed, the facility will feature seven production lines and 16,000 tons of capacity. The project will add about 150 direct jobs and approximately 600 indirect jobs, Arca Continental said.
“Since 2007, when Arca Continental ventured into the snacks industry with its acquisition of Bokados, we began a period of expanding the brand’s presence, its product portfolio and commercial execution,” said Raymundo Garcia, general manager of Bokados. “Our success has enabled us to transform from a regional company to having an ever-growing national presence with innovative products at a very competitive price point. The opening of our new plant in Querétaro will reinforce our presence in the central and southern part of the country from a strategic location, thereby furthering our objective of making Bokados a national brand.”
Arca Continental acquired two snack food businesses — Wise Foods, Inc., Berwick, Pa., and Industrias Alimenticias Ecuatorianas (Inalecsa), Ecuador, — in December 2012.
In October 2015, Arca opened a Global Innovation Center for snacks in Atlanta. The facility serves the company’s Wise business in the United States, Bokados in Mexico and Inalecsa in Ecuador.