“All Hungarian investment projects realised during the period of the coronavirus epidemic indicate that the Hungarian economy and Hungarian enterprises are strong enough to plan and realise investment projects even in such a difficult situation”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s State Secretary for Communication and the International Representation of Hungary Tamás Menczer said on Friday in Celldömölk, where he laid the foundation stone for confectionery and pasta producer Wewalka Limited’s new production hall.

“The 5 billion 386 million forint (EUR 15.2 million) development project, which will be realised in two phases, has been awarded over 800 million forints (EUR 2.26 million) in state funding, thanks to which the internationally acknowledged Austrian-owned company will be increasing its production capacity and modernising the production technology it uses, as well as creating twenty new jobs in addition to preserving its existing 130 workplaces”, the State Secretary highlighted in his speech. “806 enterprises are receiving a total of 169 billion forints (EUR 477.4 million) in funding  via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade within the framework of the investment promotion program launched by the government to reboot the economy, thanks to which these enterprises are realising 377 billion forints (EUR 1.06 billion) in investment and have undertaken to preserve 140 thousand workplaces”, he added. Mr. Menczer pointed out that the Orbán government was able to successfully handle the effects of the global economic crisis in 2010 and later, and in the period prior to the coronavirus pandemic there were 850 thousand more people working in Hungary than in 2010. “Experience indicates that the Hungarian government is capable of handling difficult situations jointly with the Hungarian people”, he stated.

At the foundation stone laying ceremony, owner of Wewalka Anton Gsellmann said he has no regrets about investing in Hungary on several occasions in recent decades, and about establishing and continuously developing the plant in Celldömölk. According to Managing Director of Wewalka Limited Johann Christoph Pendl, through their efforts the company’s employees have earned the continued development of the enterprise, and for them to transition to using even better and more modern production technology than they currently use from July 2021, in the second phase of the program launched today. The company, which originally manufactured confectionery products, but now mainly produces pasta products, opened its 1.5-billion-forint (EUR 4.24) plant in Celldömölk in 2005 within the framework of a greenfield investment project, after which in 2011 it realised a 645-million-forint (EUR 1.82 million) development project thanks to which a second plant was also constructed. The current production base will be increased by a further one thousand square metres and the company will be creating so-called “cooling spirals”, meaning that products will be manufactured and packaged in cold conditions. Wewalka, which was founded as an Austrian family business, now distributes its products in 30 countries and has also been present on the U.S. market since 2015, where there is increasing interest in the fresh pastas produced by the company in Celldömölk. According to publicly available company data, Wewalka Limited achieved over 8.9 million euros in turnover in 2018, following 6.93 million euros in the previous year. The company currently employs 130 people in Celldömölk.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade / MTI)