Mondelez to invest $24 million in Turkish plant

Mondelez International Inc. plans to spend $24 million to increase the production capacity of a plant in Turkey.

The Deerfield-based maker of cookies, chocolates and snacks said Thursday it will add a production line at its plant in Gebze, increasing production by 20 percent. The production line, expected to be operational by the end of 2015, will handle processing as well as final packaging.

The plant makes local brands of gum, candy and chocolate as well as global brands such as Halls and Trident, Mondelez said.

“Today, our plant in Gebze produces for nearly 50 different countries,” said Antoine Collette, managing director of Mondelez Turkey. “This new investment enables us to play an even bigger role in supporting the growth of our global confectionery business.”

Mondelez said the investment in Turkey is part of the company’s overall plan to reinvent its supply chain, which the company says could generate $3 billion in productivity savings.