Both customers, suppliers, business partners and official representatives from China had accepted the invitation to attend the ground-breaking ceremony for Danish Crown’s new factory outside Shanghai.
- With my civil engineering background, I have attended ground-breaking ceremonies for several major construction projects, but none compare to what I have seen today, explains Søren F. Eriksen, CEO of Danish Crown Pork.
Together with Danish Crown’s Group CEO, Jais Valeur, and the party secretary for the Pinghu district, Qi Hailong, Søren F. Eriksen cut the first sod for the construction project. This was followed by a fascinating lion dance which, according to Chinese tradition, brings luck to the project.
- It has been an amazing day with all the people who will be contributing to making the factory in Pinghu a success. In China, the beginning of a large construction project is an even more important milestone than is the case in Denmark. Because the ceremony is specifically used to look each other in the eyes to ensure that you embark on the project together, says Søren F. Eriksen.
Danish Crown’s new factory is situated in Pinghu some 100 km from the city centre of Shanghai. With an area of 17,000 square metres, it is expected to produce 14,000 tonnes of processed products a year for the 25 million people living in Shanghai.
- This is a significant and bold step for Danish Crown, but in my opinion also one of the opportunities that we must have the courage to pursue. To maintain and develop Danish Crown’s global position as a leading supplier of food products, we must constantly be at the forefront of innovation and the development of new markets, says Jais Valeur.
When it is completed in about a year’s time, the running-in of the factory begins. The site will both deliver fresh pre-packed pork for the retail industry and processed products such as bacon and sausages for Chinese customers.