The world’s finest Pepsi, based on Hungarian mineral water

Levente Balogh, CEO of the Hungarian mineral water company Szentkirályi confirmed that starting in 2024, Pepsi will be produced from water found in Szentkirály. This is why they acquired one of the world’s most modern bottling production lines, capable of filling not only mineral water but also soft drinks.

These are not just rumours anymore, Pepsi will in fact move to Hungary next year. This means that the bottling of soft drinks, which is currently destined for Austria, the Czech Republic and Romania, will now take place in Szentkirály, Hungary, writes Világgazdaság.

Hungarian Pepsi

In 2018, Central Europe Mineral Water Holding (CEMW) acquired the Hungarian interests of the American company. This made them the exclusive distributor of PepsiCo beverages and food products in Hungary. Following the transaction, the Hungarian businessman became a significant minority owner and has since held the position of CEO.

Balogh stated that the newly inaugurated PET bottling facility in Szentkirályi is suitable for filling Pepsi products. The machine, used for bottling both mineral water and soft drinks, costs 20-30 percent more than a device exclusively designed for mineral water. According to him, they purchased the more expensive equipment because they want to bring Pepsi production home. In 2015, Pepsi moved abroad from Soroksári Road, and the 40,000-square-meter area became a logistics center for the company.

However, starting next year, the soft drink will be made from Szentkirályi water. This will save considerable transportation costs and time, and will make the venture profitable and worthwhile.

The company will continue to expand

Levente Balogh also mentioned that when he was a child, he often dreamed of owning the rights to massive foreign brands like Pepsi. At the time, however, he believed it would be easier to build his own. He believes that creating a brand is only possible by manufacturing products with the world’s best technology.

“Many consumers think that purchasing branded products is just showing off. But it’s not true: to have a strong brand, safe and high-quality production is necessary,”

emphasised the CEO of Szentkirályi.

He added that brands have the highest chances of surviving during crises. This was the case during the world wars and is also currently happening due to the difficulties caused by the coronavirus and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

The company has announced that they had decided on a five-year development plan back in 2022. As a part of this plan, they are planning to invest HUF 10 billion (EUR 27 million) in the near future. The recently completed investment accounts for nearly HUF 3 billion (EUR 8 million) of the total amount.

Source: Világgazdaság