Consumer goods giant Unilever has announced plans to invest €20 million in a new production facility in the Kyiv region of Ukraine.
Construction will commence this year, with the factory expected to open in 2024.
The British multinational consumer goods company noted that the new factory will create around 100 jobs and manufacture personal-care products, including shampoos and shower gels, for brands such as Dove, Axe, TRESemmé and Clear.
Future Potential To Export
Unilever notes that the hub will predominantly supply the local Ukrainian market, but it has future potential to export to European markets.
The company currently employs more than 100 people in Ukraine and has donated more than €15 million in support and Unilever products to the humanitarian relief effort since the outbreak of the war.
“This investment shows our long-term commitment to the country and its people, including our employees, customers and partners,” said Vasyl Bovdilov, general manager at Unilever Ukraine.
“It is also a fitting way to mark the 30th anniversary of our business in Ukraine, which we will celebrate later this year. Our new manufacturing facility will create new jobs, increase our production capacity, and, above all, serve the needs of Ukrainian consumers with high-quality, sustainable products,” Bovdilov added.
Net-Zero Emissions
Unilever claims that the factory will be built to the highest environmental standards, using renewable-energy technologies, contributing to Unilever’s target of net-zero emissions across its value chain by 2039.
In February, Unilever indicated that it may have to stop doing business in Russia, and that it might have to take a loss or write down its assets there.
In March 2022, the company, which employs over 3,000 people in Russia, became the first major European food company to stop imports and exports out of Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest supply chain news. Article by Robert McHugh. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
