Nestlé’s Latest Investment in R&D Means Job Growth in Ohio

Nestlé has recently expanded its Quality Assurance Center (NQAC) in Dublin, Ohio, investing $31 million to add a 32,000-square-foot microbiology lab and $10 million worth of testing equipment. Nestlé, headquartered in Switzerland, is the world’s largest food-and-beverage company. Ninety-seven percent of American households use Nestlé products, and every Nestlé product sold in the United States is tested at Nestlé’s NQAC in Dublin. These recent investments make the NQAC the company’s largest and most sophisticated testing facility, and possibly the largest of its type in the world.

Nestlé’s mission is to be the world’s leader in nutrition, health and wellness. Nestlé’s leadership team sees Ohio as a critical factor in achieving its mission, noting that the company will continue to invest in new quality-testing procedures and add jobs in Ohio. “We’re thrilled Nestlé has again chosen to invest. It could invest anywhere in the world, and the company chose to do it yet again here in Ohio,” said Aaron Pitts, senior managing director of Food and Agribusiness for JobsOhio.

According to a Nestlé news release, the company employs more than 3,400 people across the state in a variety of businesses. Nestlé’s Solon, Ohio, campus serves as headquarters for Nestlé USA Frozen, Baking, and Pizza and Snacks divisions as well as for Nestlé Professional and Nestlé Business Services.

In 2015, Nestlé invested $50 million in the Nestlé Research and Development Center, Solon – one of 12 centers of excellence around the world. Nestlé also operates another research facility in Marysville, Ohio, which specializes in ready-to-drink beverage development, premium coffee and tea. Over 250 employees are based there, providing expertise in beverage science, packaging and technology.