Procter & Gamble opens hair care products plant in Urlati

Procter & Gamble has officially opened its new shampoos and conditioners plant in Urlati, Prahova county. The plant, which required an investment of over USD 100 million, represents a greenfield investment which the company says its part of its strategy of sustainable development in Romania. About 90 percent of the production from Urlati will be exported to regional markets such as Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the Baltic countries.

“It is part of a new generation of P&G plants which incorporate sustainability elements from design through operation and it serves as a model for other P&G plants around the world”, explained Bob McDonald, chairman of the board, president and CEO at P&G while present at the event.

The unit in Urlati is the only on that P&G has opened in Eastern Europe this year. Other 10 factories worldwide are currently in various completion stages.

P&G has further expansion plans for the Urlati unit. “We want to develop Urlati into a multi category site. We hope that in time we will produce here more than shampoo and conditioner and, of course, this will require further investments”, said Luc Viaene, GM of P&G Urlati.

The new plant has four production lines and it is currently producing the Pantene, Wash&Go and Head&Shoulders brands. Over 250 people are working in the new plant but company representatives say that the recruiting process continues.

The facility stretches over 6 ha, the company having totally leased 25 ha for the next 49 years. Local authorities have invested EUR 2.5 million in the infrastructure required for the site, said Mircea Cosma, chairman of the Prahova County Council. P&G estimate that it will generate EUR 1 million to the local budget until the end of 2010.

P&G has been present on the Romanian market since 1992. Last year the company posted a turnover of approximately EUR 370 million. P&G locally runs three entities: Procter & Gamble Marketing Romania (coordinating the marketing activities for Romania and other 7 countries in the area), Procter & Gamble Distribution SRL (coordinating distribution within Romania), Detergenti SA (manufacturing detergents and fabric bleaching products in Timisoara and hair care products in Urlati).

P&G owns brands such as Pampers, Tide, Ariel, Always, Whisper, Pantene, Mach3, Bounty, Dawn, Gain, Pringles, Charmin, Downy, Lenor, Iams, Crest, Oral-B, Duracell, Olay, Head & Shoulders, Wella, Gillette, Braun and Fusion.

Simona Bazavan