Gattefossé has announced an investment of 30 million euros in its industrial operations, including the construction of a brand new manufacturing plant in Lufkin, Texas. This facility will produce lipid based specialty ingredients for the personal care and pharmaceutical industries. The group already operates a technical center in Paramus, New Jersey, which was open in 2017.
Construction will begin in 2021 and the plant is expected to deliver its first customers in 2024.
Strategic market
With this new production site the French company wants to deepen its presence in North America, its main market after France, to better meet local customers’ needs, to increase its global production capacity, and add a new back-up unit to its supply portfolio, thus bringing more flexibility to all its customers.
“The opening of a manufacturing unit represents an essential milestone in our strategy to enhance our local presence and commitment to this important and influential market. The ‘Made in USA’ label will satisfy a strong demand expressed by our customers and the geographical location of this new site will facilitate logistics and supply chain. Production in Texas is first intended to serve the North American market but will gradually be extended to other regions," explains Éric Brun, President and CEO of Gattefossé USA and Canada.
The selected location in Lufkin, a city of 35,000 inhabitants, is in the heart of a free trade zone, close Houston’s important industrial pole.
Proximity and flexibility
The opening of a third manufacturing plant in the United States complements the group’s industrial capabilities. Today, Gattefossé operates two production sites, one in Europe (France) and the other in Asia (Singapore).
“The international expansion of our industrial operations is an essential step in the development of the Group. This project meets the economic and environmental challenges set by the company as part of its global strategy: innovation, customer intimacy, geographic expansion and social responsibility. Controlling our environmental impact is a priority: the Gattefossé’s headquarters in France will be ISO 14001 certified in 2021 and the new American site will meet the same requirements," highlights Eduardo De Purgly, Gattefossé Group CEO.
