• The Business Excellence Center bundles shared services in Finance and other corporate services, such as Customer Service and Information Technology, for Region Asia Pacific

• New facility reaffirms the company's commitment to investing in Malaysia

Barry Callebaut, one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, has announced the official opening of its Asia Pacific Business Excellence Center (APAC BEC), located in Petaling Jaya, in the Greater Kuala Lumpur area, Malaysia.

The APAC BEC will function as a center of excellence, providing support across the company's financial and accounting services, information management and technology, customer service, and other corporate and shared service functions. The Center will also help to improve customer experience through standardization and scalability of processes.

Jo Thys, chief operating officer, Barry Callebaut Group, who participated in the opening ceremony in Malaysia, said, "The Asia Pacific Business Excellence Center aims to deliver an enhanced customer experience and create value for our customers through service optimization and automation. This Center is a testament to our long-term commitment toward investing in Asia Pacific and will help us support our business growth in the Region."

Malaysia continues to be a key hub for Region Asia Pacific

The new APAC BEC in Malaysia represents a significant investment by Barry Callebaut in Malaysia and builds on more than 30 years of successful presence in the country. At present, Barry Callebaut employs more than 600 employees across its two manufacturing sites and R&D centers in Pasir Gudang and Port Klang. In addition, the APAC BEC has over 100 employees and aims to scale up to 150 in the coming months.

Robert Kotuszewski, managing director, Barry Callebaut, Malaysia, said, "Malaysia is an important hub for Asia Pacific thanks to its solid manufacturing base, cultural diversity, and multilingual talents who can help our customers and employees connect across markets in the region. We want to thank our customers, partners, and employees for their continued support in establishing the Center."

Growing chocolate business in Malaysia

Barry Callebaut manufactures chocolate for confectioneries and food manufacturers that use chocolate as ingredients in their consumer products and is the outsourcing partner for a growing number of Malaysian food manufacturers seeking high-quality chocolate products. The sales volume of chocolate confectionery in Malaysia grew by +12.7% in 2021 and at a CAGR of +3.4% between 2016-2021, according to Nielsen.

The company also imports premium European chocolate for artisanal and professional users of chocolate, such as chocolatiers, bakers, pastry chefs, hotels, and restaurants. These gourmet products have fueled the business growth of Barry Callebaut in Malaysia.

Barry Callebaut, as a leader in the area of innovation, introduced several of its innovative chocolate products to customers in Malaysia, including its first dairy-free, plant-based chocolate, and WholeFruit chocolate, which is made from 100% cacao fruit.