On 22 March 2012, a delegation lead by H.R.H. Prince Philip was welcomed by Grand Place’s founder and President, Gricha Safarian. At this occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Puratos Group, confirming both parties’ intention to join forces in Vietnam. Under this agreement, approximately USD 10 million will be invested to expand the current chocolate capacity and the collection, fermentation and processing station for single origin cocoa beans in Vietnam.
Grand Place is the first and leading chocolate manufacturer in Vietnam. BIO agreed to a loan facility to the company back in 2008 to start a new factory, and granted a subsidy for a technical assistance programme aiming at improving the quality of locally produced cocoa beans, which are now used in the manufacturing process. The expansion of Grand Place today demonstrates the catalytic role played by BIO, who was the first investor to believe in the potential of the company.
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