Bell expands its market position in Spain

Bell is taking over the production facilities of Spanish charcuterie specialist Nobleza Ibérica in Azuaga in the Ibérico stronghold of Extremadura. The company has an annual production capacity of around 150'000 hams and 1'000 tons of charcuterie. The Nobleza Ibérica plant specializes in high-quality Jamón Ibérico and Spanish charcuterie (so-called embutidos) and is therefore the ideal addition to Bell's existing product range in Spain. The acquisition will take place on April 6, 2017 and the parties have agreed not to disclose the terms of the purchase.
Work on the new Serrano ham production plant in Fuensalida, near Madrid, has progressed further. This is Bell's response to the growing popularity of Spanish ham specialties throughout Europe. Together with the existing plant in the immediate vicinity, Bell is increasing its annual drying capacity to over one million hams per year. Bell is investing around EUR 40 million in this new building project and will provide jobs for 100 additional employees once the construction work is completed. The ground-breaking ceremony will take place on April 25, 2017 and the new production site is scheduled to go into operation in the second quarter of 2018.
In future, Bell will be able to offer a complete range of Spanish hams (Ibérico, Serrano) and Spanish raw sausages (Chorizo, Salchichón, Lomo) from its own production with the three production plants. This will enable Bell to further expand its market position in Spain and in export markets. The products will be marketed under the national brand ""Sánchez Alcaraz"" and other brands of the Bell Group.