Rhodia Acquires GuarDerivatives Unit in China
• CHINA: Rhodia has acquired a new guar derivatives production unit owned by Suzhou HiPro Polymers, based in Zhangjiagang, China. The unit, which will complement Rhodia’s existing global guar derivatives manufacturing footprint with production units located in North America, Europe and India, will enable the firm to meet the fast-growing demand for guar–based products in Asia, particularly from the personal care market.
Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed; it will be finalized in the first quarter of 2011, according to Rhodia.
Rhodia’s guar-based range, mainly sold under the Jaguar trade name, is derived from vegetable and renewable fibers of guar beans. Natural guar-based products are used in the personal care market to provide hair and skin conditioning benefits in shampoo and cleansing products.
In addition, Rhodia said it is also investing in its North American facility in Vernon, TX to increase its guar derivatives production capacity. This additional capacity in Texas will contribute to meeting increasing global customer demand, in particular in the personal care market, the company said.
“This targeted acquisition and the enhancement of our industrial assets will reinforce our worldwide leadership position in guar technology as a supplier of natural guar-based materials used primarily in personal care, agrochemicals and oilfield applications,” said Emmanuel Butstraen, president of Rhodia Novecare.
Venkat Iyer (vice president, Scent & Care, Symrise India), Achim Daub (global president, Scent & Care), Beatrice Favre-Bulle (senior VP, fragrance development), Marc vom Ende (senior perfumer) and Katherine Loh (VP, fragrance development, Symrise Asia Pacific) open Symrise’s school in Chennai, India. |
Butstraen continued, “These two investments are completely in line with Rhodia Novecare’s strategy targeting organic as well as external growth. Following the recent acquisition of Feixiang Chemicals in surfactants, it also represents a further step in our drive to develop our presence in China and capture the fast-growing market in Asia-Pacific.”
More info: www.rhodia.com
Symrise Opens Perfumery School in India
• INDIA: Symrise has opened its first perfumery school outside its headquarters in Holzminden, Germany, and its first in India.
India represents one of the fastest-growing markets for Symrise, which reported a nine-month turnover of $1.6 billion in local currency, according to reports. The Symrise fragrance business in India has been growing in the high double digits over the past few years.
The academy, which includes a special area with more than 900 bottled compounds and a library, will house these “noses of the future” in Symrise’s Chennai office, located on a 10-acre compound with landscaped gardens. It offers a diploma at the end of a two-and-a-half-year period.
“Thanks to our new Perfumery School in Chennai, we are creating an in-house pool of excellently trained perfumers and evaluators for the growth market Asia. This is not only the next logical step in expanding our internationally esteemed “Perfumers’ Academy” program: we are also strengthening one of the most important dynamic markets on the Asian continent,” said Achim Daub, global president, Scent & Care.
Venkat Iyer, vice president, Scent & Care, India, added, “Inspiration is a crucial part of training perfumers, and India and Chennai provide the necessary framework conditions. You can encounter all sorts of scents and spices in many regions of India. India is fascinating and inspiring at the same time.”
Sara Lee Sells White King, Janola Home Care Lines
• AUSTRALIA: Sara Lee Corp. has sold its White King and Janola business to Symex Holdings Limited for approximately $50 million. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2011.
The White King and Janola business primarily develops, markets and sells bleach, toilet, laundry and other cleaning products in Australia and New Zealand. In fiscal 2009, this business generated annual sales of approximately $28 million and accounted for approximately 1% of theadjusted operating segment income of Sara Lee’s international household and body care business.
Symex’s Pental Consumer Products Division is Australia’s largest manufacturer of soap, supplying brands such as Country Life, Natural Selections, Sunlight, Velvet, Knights Castile and Lux Flakes, together with Softly premium wool wash, Huggie fabric softener, Country Homestead wool mix, Sureguard moth and silverfish repellent, Hi Speed iron cleaner and Close Up and Aim toothpastes.
P&G To Expand in Philippines; Inaugurates Site in Karachi
• PHILIPPINES: Procter & Gamble will invest $60 million to expand production capacity of its Cabuyao plant. According to published reports, the investment will be used to add additional capacity-building that will improve and upgrade the consumer products manufactured in the plant, which is touted as among the biggest and most advanced manufacturing plants for P&G in Asia.
In another move, Procter & Gamble Pakistan inaugurated its Ariel plant at Port Qasim, Karachi. The plant will manufacture its premium detergent brand, Ariel in Pakistan by combining breakthrough technology with world-class innovation.
This new investment by P&G in Pakistan stems from the company’s growth strategy to touch and improve lives of more consumers in more parts of the world, more completely.
Kiehl’s Enters IndiaWith Store in New Delhi
• INDIA: Kiehl’s has opened a flagship store at the Ambience Mall in New Delhi, its first store in India. The skin care company has partnered with specialty retailer Quest Retail to distribute and run its retail operations in the country.
There are plans to open another shop in Mumbai, according to published reports.
PZ Cussons Donates to Ghana Hand Washing Program
• GHANA: The Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Charity Foundation has initiated a project on hand washing with soap in the country, and PZ Cussons is backing the effort with a $34 million donation as well as detergents.
Between now and 2015, more than 1,000 schools in the country will be supplied with Veronica Buckets—a large bucket of water with a spigot near the bottom and a wash basin placed below. The initiative, which is designed to improve hygiene, will also provide water.
In other news, PZ Cussons is helping the Seashell Trust, a day and residential school for hearing disabled children.
House of Fraser Launches Apothecary, Own Collection
• UNITED KINGDOM: House of Fraser has launched Apothecary online, billed as a cutting edge beauty emporium where customers can discover new brands, with the opportunity to understand and experience the product in a relaxed environment. It will sell a mix of contemporary, classic, niche and global brands—from Molton Brown, Laura Mercier and Xen Tan to Electric Body, Filorga, Ceveria Terenzi and Deborah Lippmann, for example.
In addition, House of Fraser has also introduced the Apothecary Collection, its own line specifically designed to complement the retail concept.
Working with Francois Robert, the range contains a body collection, hand collection, travel collection and a candle collection, with fragrances including bergamot and lemon combined with the fresh, clean floral scents of hyacinth and freesia.
House of Fraser, which has 61 locations across the UK and Ireland, was acquired by the Highland consortium in 2006.
Sea-Land FormsEuropean Unit
• UNITED KINGDOM: Sea-Land Chemical Company has formed Sea-Land Chemical Europe. Based in the UK, the company will supply specialty chemicals to the European lubricants, household, industrial and institutional cleaning and coatings markets.
“The timing is right for this expansion,” said Sea-Land Chemical Company president Joseph Clayton. “It will enable us to better serve our business partners while meeting a global need for distribution.”
Sea-Land Chemical Europe has entered into an agreement with Robert Stubbs formerly of the Polartech Group of Companies. Stubbs will promote products currently available to the market, conduct market studies for prospective suppliers and offer sourcing opportunities from Europe and Asia.
“Chemical distribution has polarized in Europe into large supply chain orientated groups and much smaller distributors, many of whom lack true sector expertise,” said Stubbs.
He continued, “Sea-Land is one of a decreasing number of specialized distributors which combines the scale and logistical expertise with real levels of technical expertise. These are attributes readily translatable to Europe.”
More info: www.sealandchem.com
Reckitt Reaches CO2Reduction Milestone
• UNITED KINGDOM: Reckitt Benckiser (RB) plc eliminated 3 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) last year thanks to a 11% reduction per unit dose in the carbon impact across its products’ lifecycle.
This key milestone is a crucial part of the company’s Carbon20 program, which aims to reduce its products’ impact on climate change by 20% by 2020.
Launched in 2007, Carbon20 targets reductions of carbon emissions embedded in raw and packaging materials from suppliers, and in consumers’ use and disposal of the company’s products. The program also targets the climate change impact of the overall lifecycle of RB products.
“Focusing on climate change is right for our business, right for our industry, and right for society,” said Bart Becht, chief executive officer of Reckitt Benckiser plc. “Our Carbon20 program establishes ambitious targets for RB, and I’m pleased that we are on track to exceed them. However, much remains to be done in the realm of combating climate change, and RB will not rest in our quest to drive progress.”