L’Oréal has inaugurated its first factory in Africa, located near Cairo in Egypt.
Found in the Pyramids Industrial Park of 10th of Ramadan, the facility is the result of a staged investment of €50m and serves to meet the rising demands of consumers in the region, according to the company. It will be the production hub for L’Oréal’s consumer products division in the Middle East and North Africa region, and will manufacture L’Oréal Paris and Garnier products.
Spanning an area of 17,000sqm, the factory includes manufacturing and warehouse facilities with three times the expansion potential of its current size. “With the rising demand of consumers across the region for innovative and high quality beauty products, it was crucial for L’Oréal to have a production facility close to its key markets and able to adapt the product offer to local specificities. The Cairo plant reflects our confidence in the continuous expansion of the MENA market and our strong commitment to Egypt as a strategic production hub,” said Geoff Skingsley, L’Oréal’s Executive Vice-President for the Africa Middle East Zone.
The new Cairo plant is L'Oréal's 43rd worldwide. It was completed in 2013 and was initially dedicated to hair care and hair colouring products, having recently extended its production to skin care. In 2014, the plant produced 50 million units, and it has the potential to double its production capacity in the next three years. 10% of the production will cater to the domestic market while 90% will be exported to other countries in the region.
It features fully automated processing skids with automated recipe control, automated packing lines, and fully integrated worldwide Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to optimise supply chain and quality management. Environmental considerations were also taken into account, with an energy efficient building and highly performing state-of-the-art technology for water treatment. Additionally, it is the first LEED certified factory in Egypt (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)in any industry and has been built following its requirements. These consist of a level of excellence in water and energy efficiencies, atmosphere management, materials and resources utilisation, and environmental quality.
The plant employs nearly 200 people and invests in more than 10,000 hours of training per year, including tailored induction programs for its managers which take place in North America and Europe.
