“We are thrilled to announce a supply expansion of essential products in North America,” says Doug Parkinson, Vice President of Operations at Henkel’s Geneva facility, in last week’s media release about the company’s plans for the Dial soap brand.
“It’s not only a win-win for our business,” says Parkinson, “it will support our local job and economic growth. Investing in Dial will provide consumers and businesses with much needed home and personal hygiene products.”
Demand for soap and sanitizer is strong in 2020
Consumer and institutional demand for soaps, liquid hand wash products, and hand sanitizer continues to be strong; and with no end of the Coronavirus pandemic in sight, that demand is expected to continue for months (if not years) to come.
In July, Henkel Canada shared data on the increase in consumer handwashing and concominent demand for soap. Earlier this summer GOJO, the company that makes Purell branded products, doubled production to keep pace with demand for soap, sanitizer, and wipes. And the whole hygiene category has become increasingly dynamic in recent months, as Cosmetics Design has reported.
This month’s announcement of “a $23 million investment in [Henkel’s] North American manufacturing facilities….[means] new equipment and a series of improvements that will support additional production of Dial liquid hand soap and hand sanitizers at its Geneva, NY and West Hazleton, PA sites,” according to the media release.
Henkel adds crew and capacity to keep pace with demand for soap and sanitizer during COVID
Henkel’s $23 million investment will add antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer production lines that will double the capacity of its Geneva, New York facility. That site, acquired from Zotos Professional in 2018, will also now be formally rebranded as a Henkel facility.
The expansion also means more jobs for personal care manufacturing pros. “There are now 180 new reasons to cheer every time we wash our hands thanks to the expansion of Henkel’s manufacturing facility in Geneva. This will lather up a major economic boost in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region by harnessing our skilled workforce to manufacture the sanitizers and soaps needed in our homes and workplaces during the pandemic, all while investing over $17 million to create 180 new jobs,” says US Senator Charles Schumer, in the release, “I applaud Henkel for doubling down on its Geneva workforce and committing to grow this facility now and into the future.”
The additional investment is going to grow the Henkel production facility in West Hazleton, Pennsylvania, and help purchase new production equipment for both sites.