Bel expands Vietnam production with $19.7 million investment
Foreign manufacturers continue to expand production capacity in Vietnam as they deepen regional supply chains and target export growth across Asia.
Bel Group has announced the expansion of its production site in Vietnam, marking a new phase in its long-term development in the country and the wider region. Announced on January 15, the $19.7 million investment will double the site’s production capacity to 20,000 tonnes per year, strengthen the group’s industrial capabilities, and support a market share of more than 70 per cent in the cheese segment across both modern retail and traditional trade, driven by locally produced brands including The Laughing Cow, Belcube, and Kiri.
Construction of the expanded facility is scheduled to begin at the end of January, with building handover expected in early 2027. Leveraging Bel’s ability to adapt products to local market preferences, the Vietnam site is expected to serve key export markets across Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The expansion will also include a pilot research and development line aimed at accelerating product innovation, optimising recipes, and testing new formats tailored to regional consumption patterns and nutritional needs. The facility will support industrial trials and enhance the group’s ability to deploy innovations more efficiently across regional markets.
The project is also expected to have a significant impact on local employment, with the workforce at the site projected to increase from 188 employees to around 400 in the long term.
Present in Vietnam since 2011, Bel has built an integrated industrial model combining production for the domestic market with export-oriented capabilities, enabling the group to serve Southeast Asia while remaining closely aligned with local consumer needs. Starting with an initial production capacity of approximately 4,000 tonnes per year, the group invested more than $15 million in 2015 to build a new plant with a capacity of 10,000 tonnes per year, equivalent to more than three million portions per week, primarily under The Laughing Cow brand (Con Bo Cuoi).
Asia plays a central role in Bel’s global growth strategy. The group has strengthened its regional footprint through targeted investments, including the acquisition of a 70 per cent stake in Shandong Junjun Cheese in China in 2022 and the inauguration of a new production facility dedicated to the Britannia The Laughing Cow brand in 2024. In Indonesia, Bel has acquired a 22.5 per cent minority stake in Mulia Boga Raya, combining Bel’s global expertise with deep local market knowledge.
By Thanh Van – Vietnam Investment Review – January 16, 2026