Chocolate manufacturers Callebaut choose Lokeren as their new global hub

Chocolate manufacturers Barry Callebaut have chosen the city of Lokeren (East Flanders) as the location for their new logistics centre. The 60,000 square metre complex will become the international hub of the world's biggest chocolate manufacturer. 

Callebaut has a European logistics centre in Aalst at present, which employs 85 people. This hub is growing at a fast pace, and will be replaced by the hub in Lokeren, which should be ready in 2021. All Aalst employees will be able to make the transfer, with the Lokeren complex creating dozens of new jobs. 

Lokeren came out on top because of its location, within the triangle Ghent-Antwerp-Brussels and close to the Port of Antwerp. The huge complex will be energy neutral.

Callebaut was created in Wieze (East Flanders) as a family business but has grown at a quick pace to become a global player. In fact, Callebaut have become the world's biggest chocolate manufacturers, selling over 2 million tons of chocolate last year. The company employs about 1,500 people in Belgium. 

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