Unilever has opened an €80m ($84m) production facility in Cavite, Philippines that will increase its Beauty & Wellbeing and Personal Care business output by 15%.
The state-of-the-art facility will ramp up production of haircare products from Sunsilk and Creamsilk, and deodorant lines from Rexona and Dove.
Current production lines feature highly specialised technologies including automated mixers, high-speed Shubham end-of-line packaging solutions, and bottle and capping machines, operated by computers specifically adapted to control our assembly lines.
In addition, virtual reality headsets are used by the factory’s team to provide diagnostics while the machine is running, increasing efficiency and reducing potential downtime.
In terms of production, 90% of what Unilever Philippines sells is manufactured locally as compared to other FMCGs who have opted to import.
The location in Cavite is part of a growing countryside industrial development, bringing it closer to key suppliers and its own distribution centre.
The move will speed delivery of raw materials and further reduce miles travelled by finished goods.
As well as reducing its carbon footprint through distance travelled by goods, Unilever is powering the new facility with 100% renewable grid electricity.
“Our investment in the new factory is anchored in our purpose to meet the needs of consumers and our customers,” said Unilever Philippines chairman and CEO Benjie Yap.
“Emerging markets contribute 59% to Unilever’s global turnover and the Philippines remains an important market and growth driver for the company,” he added.
