PepsiCo Expands Cooperation with Kazakhstan
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Alibek Kuantyrov, held a meeting with Konstantin Fedorchuk, Senior Director of Supply Chain Development for Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Belarus at PepsiCo, and Margulan Ospanov, Director of Government and Public Relations. The parties discussed key issues related to the American multinational's chip production project in Kazakhstan.
The plant will be located in the Almaty region and will produce potato chips under the globally recognized Lay's brand. The American company plans to invest $160 million, creating approximately 350 jobs. In the initial phase, the facility's capacity will range from 14,000 to 16,000 tons of products, with plans to increase this to 21,000 tons. Locally sourced Kazakh potatoes will be used in production. The company aims to complete the first phase of the plant's construction by 2026.
During the meeting, Deputy Minister Kuantyrov highlighted that PepsiCo's initiative is an important step in strengthening Kazakhstan-U.S. cooperation, demonstrating Kazakhstan’s attractiveness as an investment platform for international corporations. He emphasized that the project would stimulate regional economic development, create jobs, and support the growth of the agro-industrial sector by utilizing local raw materials.
Konstantin Fedorchuk expressed gratitude for the support from the Kazakh government and noted that this project is just the beginning of further large-scale investments by PepsiCo in the region. Margulan Ospanov added that the company intends to actively collaborate with local suppliers and expand production to meet the demands not only of the domestic market but also of other Central Asian countries.
PepsiCo already has a significant presence in Kazakhstan, but the new Lay's chip factory will be the corporation's first major food project in the country.
