27-Nov-2014 Düsseldorf / Germany
Henkel starts producing Vernel Soft & Oils in Düsseldorf
Henkel has invested 10 million euros to produce Vernel Soft & Oils fabric softener at its headquarters.
Oil is good for your skin. It is also good for your clothes. Henkel has developed a new line of fabric softener made of essential oils called Vernel Soft & Oils. The fabric softener contains a unique ingredient that makes it transparent and therefore differentiates it from the traditional milky fabric softeners.
New ingredients and an innovative bottle design required the construction of a new production line, which was built in just a few months. Production of the fabric softener in Düsseldorf is not only destined to the German market but also to several other European countries. Düsseldorf is Henkel’s largest production facility for the Laundry & Home Care business unit.
The new product is the result of Henkel Laundry & Home Care’s consistent innovation strategy. The division makes 45 percent of its sales from products that have been on the market for less than three years.
“Innovations are the cornerstone of our success,” said Bruno Piacenza, Executive Vice President and responsible for the Laundry & Home Care business unit. “That’s why it is important to invest in Research & Development, marketing as well as state-of-the-art production equipment and techniques.”
The new production line shows Henkel’s commitment to its country of origin. Henkel was able to increase sales organically (excluding foreign-exchange effects and acquisitions and divestments) in Western Europe in the third quarter of 2014 and solid growth in Germany was a main contributor to this performance. The company has invested more than 100 million euros at its headquarters in the recent years and opened a new central warehouse in Düsseldorf last autumn. The corporate headquarters are also Henkel’s largest production site and the main center for R&D.