Solina’s new factory developed by Kapitel is completed
The new factory of Solina, Europe’s leading producer of tailor-made food solutions, in Saue municipality, represents a total investment of nearly 30 million euros. The factory developed by Kapitel and leased to Solina for 20 years, is the first new real estate development in Estonia to qualify for a green loan from the SEB Group. The new factory will employ daily more than 100 people and wide array of innovative technologies, including robots, are used for increasing the productivity. Modern factory increases previous production capacity by a quarter with annual exports exceeding 40 million euros.
Solina was recognised as the Company of the Year in Saue Municipality, and the construction of the new factory is among the nominees for the Deed of the Year of Saue Municipality in 2024.
“The new factory, completed in cooperation of Solina and Kapitel, is a landmark for the entire Solina Group. The new building is in line with our corporate values, taking into account environmental sustainability and supports the achievement of the goals set in the Group’s sustainability strategy. We have room to grow, to expand our product portfolio with new technologies and to offer the best products and services to our customers. Improving the working environment and well-being of our own employees has also been a focus. We have gathered the best manufacturing practices of the Group’s companies to the new factory and have invested in new technologies. We are delighted to have been selected as the pilot plant for new technologies across the Solina Group,” said Veiko Soome, Member of the Management Board of Solina Estonia.
“The development of the new Solina factory is significant for several reasons. Firstly, reputable international group made such a large-scale investment to Estonian industrial sector at a politically and economically challenging time. Secondly, the global best know-how of an international group will be applied in Estonia and the experience gained in Estonia will in turn be the basis for all future Solina Group factories around the world. Thirdly, the investment-decision did not only take into account the productivity growth, but also high level of energy efficiency, sustainability and employee well-being, and fourthly, the first new real estate development in Estonia to qualify for a SEB Group green loan comes from the industrial real estate sector. Kapitel is very grateful to Solina for the trust and the opportunity to cooperate in such an international and innovative project. I would also like to thank both the Saue municipality authorities and the main contractor Eventus, who contributed greatly to the success of this project as very constructive partners,” said Holger Tilk, Member of the Management Board of Kapitel Logistics.
Andres Laisk, Mayor of Saue Municipality, added: “We are extremely pleased that a company, which has been operating in the town of Saue for a long time has found a new location for the development and expansion of its production activities, also in Saue Municipality, not far from its previous location. And we are particularly pleased that the company approached us at an early stage for advice on where to look for a new investment, and we were able to help with our advice. For us, this demonstrates a mutual trust and cooperation with entrepreneurs that we consider very important. It also ensured that jobs stayed in the area. The fact that there are also other food ingredient producers in the municipality means that we can sort of say that Saue municipality is a municipality of flavours and that Solina, as a company, is an important part of our business community.”
Solina’s new office, product development laboratory, test kitchen, production unit and warehouse are located in more than 13,500 square metre factory at Saue tee 15 in the Gate Tallinn Industrial Park in the municipality of Laagri, Saue. The building with A-energy class and the solar park, will be the first building in Estonia to be certified as BREEAM New Construction fully-fitted level Very Good. The building’s energy performance is 16% below the threshold for A-energy class. To reduce CO2 emissions, the main heating solution for the factory is based on high-efficiency heat pumps using green electricity.
Thanks to innovative automated production technologies, the new facility will allow production volumes to be increased with the same number of employees by a quarter to 18,000 tonnes per year with a possibility to increase the volume further to 22,000 tonnes.
Solina is an international food industry group with 43 factories around the world, producing tailor-made food solutions for the food industry, food services, fast-food restaurants and nutritional enrichment products, and employing more than 4,000 people. In 2024, the Solina Group’s turnover exceeded €1.5 billion euros. Solina’s production complex in Estonia exports more than 93% of its production through the Group’s companies, with the major share of its customers being the largest Nordic food industries. Solina’s seasoning solutions are also widely used in the Estonian food industry.
The project was financed by SEB Bank, main contractor was Eventus, owner’s supervisor was Inseneribüroo Telora, brokerage services were provided by Uus Maa and BREEAM certification process was advised by Vesta Consulting.
Solina Estonia/Saue Production OÜ (https://ee.solina.com/solina-estonia) is part of the international food industry group Solina Group. Solina is a leading global partner in the food industry, food services, fast food restaurants and nutritional enrichment products. The company provides its customers with tailor-made seasoning solutions that contribute to good food in every sense of the word: good for people, good for the planet. Solina’s 43 production units and numerous local product development centres combine culinary and technical expertise to enable the company to design innovative food solutions with excellent taste, functionality and nutritional value. Headquartered in France, the company employs more than 4,000 people, has production facilities in 19 countries and serves customers in more than 75 countries. Solina’s majority shareholder is Astorg, an independent private equity investment firm, and in 2024 the Solina Group had a turnover of around €1.5 billion euros.
OÜ Kapitel Logistics is a company of AS Kapitel Group (www.kapitel.ee), which develops, owns and manages industrial and logistics real estate. The company’s portfolio includes three logistics centres and production buildings with a total leasable area of 74 000 m² in Rae municipality in Rukki industrial park at Rukki tee 1 and Rukki tee 5 and in Saue municipality in Gate Tallinn industrial park at Saue tee 15. In addition, Kapitel Logistics owns plots of land with building rights in Rae municipality in Rukki industrial park and in Gate Tallinn industrial park in Saue municipality. Major tenants of Kapitel Logistics include Smarten Logistics, Eugesta Eesti, Solina Eesti and ON24.