EIKA Development, a real estate project management company belonging to the EIKA group, will take care of the construction management and technical supervision of the Akvatera W wet pet food factory being built in Kaunas. It is estimated that the total investment in this project will reach 20 million euros.
One of the most modern specialized pet food production companies in Northern Europe, Akvatera, part of the KIKA Group, produces the highest quality pet food: dry extruded dog and cat food, rodent feed, and bird feed and treats.
The A++ energy class factory building being built by the newly established company “Akvatera W” managed by the Group in the town of Žemaitkiemis, near the A1 highway, should be completed by the end of 2025. The 2-story building with an area of 7.2 thousand sq. m. will house 2 production lines and employ about 90 people. The total value of the project will reach 20.5 million euros. The project is planned to begin implementation in 2024 and be completed in 2025.
Raw materials will be used to manufacture products, obtained only from selected, reliable suppliers. ISO standards and comprehensive laboratory tests ensure the production of safe and high-quality products and effective control.
The products manufactured at the Akvatera dry food factory have already won the highest awards not only in Lithuanian competitions, but also international recognition – the products are exported to more than 60 countries around the world.
“This state-of-the-art factory will help us continue to maintain our rapid growth. We will produce wet food – canned food – in small pouch-type packages that are currently in high demand worldwide. It is precisely products in this format that will enable us to cooperate more actively with major European retail chains and offer our customers the new generation of Nature Protection functional food. This will further increase the competitiveness of the entire group,” says Tauras Plungė, one of the co-founders of KIKA Group.
“We are grateful to the KIKA Group for their trust. We understand our responsibility to complete the construction of the factory on time and within the budget. We are confident that our experience will allow us to successfully implement this non-standard project, so that KIKA Group can offer even more quality products to people who love their animals,” says Martynas Žibūda, CEO of EIKA Development.
“The new factory will allow us to further expand our exports and offer even more products to pet lovers in all our markets. We are truly delighted to have the opportunity to manufacture these products in Lithuania. We value the reputation, experience and partnership of the Eika Group, so we have no doubt that the construction management of the new factory is in very reliable hands,” says Janita Januškauskaitė–Plungė, co-owner of KIKA Group.
Today, KIKA Group operates a network of 128 KIKA brand stores in Lithuania and Estonia, where the group sold 47% of its production last year. The group’s exports grew by 35% last year and amounted to 31.2 million euros or 43.5% of the group’s sales. In 2023, KIKA Group’s consolidated sales grew by 10% to 71.7 million euros.
The group exports to 65 countries worldwide. The largest export market remains Europe, dominated by the Czech Republic, Finland, Poland, Ukraine and Italy. The group’s exports are growing fastest in Asian countries – Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia and Taiwan.
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