Vevey, 18 November 2008 - Nestlé today opened the new Nestlé Professional Customer Innovation Campus in Solon, Ohio, dedicated to the development of culinary food solutions for the out-of-home business. The new facility was inaugurated by Marc Caira, Global Business Executive Nestlé Professional, Jorge Sadurni, President Nestlé Professional Americas, and Kevin Patton, Mayor of Solon.
The establishment of the Customer Innovation Campus underlines the importance that Nestlé attributes both to R&D and to the out-of-home business, one of its four strategic growth areas. Consumers are spending more on out-of-home food and beverages, a trend which is set to continue.
Over the coming years, Nestlé Professional will invite chefs and executives from a variety of foodservice segments - restaurants, hotels, schools, business facilities - to the Customer Innovation Campus in Solon to learn more about key consumer trends and to collaborate on the development of customized menu and food solutions. The Customer Innovation Campus in Solon will employ 100 people, including world-class chefs.
Nestlé is investing around CHF 17 million in this new R&D facility. After the Nestlé Professional Beverage Centre in Orbe this is the second R&D Centre dedicated to the out-of-home business. Nestlé has the largest R&D network of any food and beverage company, with an investment of CHF 1.88 billion in 2007.
The out-of-home market has a potential of CHF 500 billion and Nestlé expects to double its sales within the next ten years. Nestlé Professional will assume full operational and financial responsibility from January 2009.