A specialist in lipid chemistry and plant extraction for the personal care and pharmaceutical industries, Gattefossé has settled its presence in North America in 1987. At that time, it was the Group’s first affiliate created overseas. To better address the needs of its customers, the French group opened a Technical Center of Excellence in 2017 in Paramus, New Jersey.
A USD 50 million investment
The works of Gattefossé’s very first North American manufacturing facility in Lufkin, Texas, will be officially launched on Wednesday June 8th, 2022, during a ceremony with Gattefossé teams and officials of the city.
This new asset will manufacture lipid-based specialty ingredients for the personal care and pharmaceutical industries and will enable to grow the global production capacity of the Group. Dubbed Gattex, the plant is expected to be up and running in 2024.
"Building a new production site in North America will enable the Group to respond to several strategic challenges. First, increasing our global production capacity and offering a back-up on three continents. Second, managing our ecological impacts thanks to reduced lead time in deliveries and to the eco design of the facility. This major investment of 50+ million dollars is the most important project that the Group ever led in its history. This move is in line with our evolution from a medium sized company to a global industrial group established in its major markets,” explains Eduardo De Purgly, Gattefossé Group CEO.
LEED certification
The Gattex project is in line with the CSR roadmap of the Group, known as Gatt’Up & Act. The production site will primarily service regional customers, thus limiting negative environmental impacts linked to intercontinental transportation.
The plant will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, a widely used green building rating system.
“The presence of Gattefossé in North America started with the creation of Gattefossé USA in 1982. Since then, the organization has strongly grown. A significant milestone was the opening of the Technical Center of Excellence in 2017 in Paramus, New Jersey. The building of a brand-new manufacturing unit in Lufkin, Texas, is a milestone in line with our strategy to better penetrate North America, leading market for the pharmaceuticals and personal care industries. It will improve customer intimacy while contributing to the local economy thanks to the creation of new jobs. Moreover, it will satisfy our customers’ demand for the ‘Made in the USA’ label,” says Éric Brun, President and CEO of Gattefossé USA and Canada.
In addition to the main production site located in Lyon, France, Gattefossé currently operates two production lines in Singapore and Spain.
Three Technical Centers of Excellence have also been created in India, China and the United States – in addition to the main lab in France - to offer an essential interface with both pharmaceutical and personal care customers worldwide, by providing formulation troubleshooting, inspiration and technical support.
