Company executives say that the investment in the facility is part of its strategy to tap into the specific needs of local market by being closer to the trends and creating a faster time to market for product development.
As part of this goal, the company also invited a group of prominent Mexican influencers and media to the grand opening, which was hosted by Avon executives that included Josie Adams, vice presidents of R&D and Jaime Ornelas, director of the Celeya plant.
Boosting product innovation pipeline
The Avon team took the invited party on a tour of the lab, to explain how the company will be leveraging it global R&D capabilities to developed customized products that are tailored to the needs and trends of the local market.
Underlining the boost to the company’s product innovation pipeline, Avon executives say that the first locally-targeted product to appear from the lab could be hitting the market in a matter of weeks.
Avon Products has had some significant challenges in recent years, but after slimming down its global operations it is now focusing its investment in its stronger markets, many of which are in the Latin American region.
Mexican market is very important
The Mexican market is one of the most important in the Latin American region, and although it comes in at number two in size, behind Brazil, it has consistently provided long-term growth for cosmetics and personal care products.
“We are excited about the potential of this new facility to drive business growth in NoLA markets,” said Josie Adams vice-president of R&D.
“Trends move fast, and with an abundance of choice for consumers today, it’s important that we can deliver top quality innovation in the right timeframe to delight our millions-strong global network of representatives their customers.”