Unilever opens SA plant

UNILEVER plans to create and improve more products from its new research and development (R&D) facility that opened at the Indonsa factory in Durban this week.

The R44 million R&D facilities will operate as a pilot plant for the Unilever research and development team, who through the facility will be able to improve on products such as Omo, Lux, Dove, Knorr and Robertsons among others.

This week Unilever had its global chief of research and development, Geneviève Berger, in South Africa to open the plant.

Globally, the consumer goods company has employed about 6 000 scientists, engineers, chefs and technicians in 20 countries.

Ross Plumbley, the vice-president of research and development in South Africa, said the pilot plant would serve as a unit performing research to improve products for the Durban region and also for the African market at large.

The pilot plant will also help Unilever to deliver new products quicker into the market and also maximise its growth.

Plumbley said tests would be done on a smaller scale and once it had been approved they would be done on a larger scale. “The plants’ testing equipment is aligned to our global facilities including our African operation so that when we carry out tests and decide on a particular product, we do so together.”

Plumbley said Unilever had confidence in its African operations, which were growing at an expected rate. “We have played an important role in capturing the R35 billion worth of the consumer market in the continent,” he added.