Colgate-Palmolive investing to open major personal care facility in South Carolina

By Simon Pitman

- Last updated on GMT

Colgate-Palmolive investing to open major personal care facility in South Carolina
Colgate-Palmolive has announced a nearly $200 million investment to open a factory in Greenwood County South Carolina, which will manufacture personal care products including deodorants and liquid soaps.

The investment is set to create more than 300 jobs in a phase one industrial site that was formerly another light manufacturing business in the Hodges light industrial zone.

The facility is around 525,000 square feet and will manufacture Mennen Speed Stick deodorants for the domestic and global markets, together with Softsoap liquid hand soap, which will be manufactured for the North American market.

Location chosen for infrastructure and workforce

According to Greenwood Partnership Alliance, the local business development agency that brokered the deal, the facility was chosen because of the local workforce, infrastructure, proximity to markets and access to the state’s seaport services.

“We’re pleased with the opportunity to locate our new operations in South Carolina,”​ said Mike Corbo, vice president, Global Supply Chain, for Colgate-Palmolive.

“Greenwood County had a building that was a perfect fit for our needs, offers us a talented workforce and excellent market access."

Facility to open for business next year

The plant is expected to start operations in 2014, once the $196 million investment in the facility to convert it into state-of-the-art manufacturing for personal care goods is complete.

The company says that the work on the redesign has already begun, while retrofitting of the building is due to begin before the end of the year, and the hiring for the manufacturing vacancies will begin in March of 2014.

The Colgate business is divided up between its mainstay oral care operations and its home and personal care business.

Although it has continued to experience strong growth in recent years, this has largely been due to its oral care operations in emerging markets, leading the company to invest in its home and personal care operation with an eye to maintain the diversity of its business and portfolio.

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