VVF takes over Colgate Plamolive's plant in US

New Delhi, Nov 3 (UNI) Mumbai-based VVF Ltd, producer of Oleochemicals and personal care products, today announced that it has reached a deal with Colgate Palmolive to buy its US-based soon-to-be closed soap manufacturing plant.

''We will make this facility our North American headquarters,'' company's President (US Operations) Kurussh Amrolia said today.

The company has planned a reopen of the plant during the first quarter next year with a startup work force to produce private-label soap for hotels and personal care products for other clients.

''The work-force will be expanded, as well as customer base,'' Mr Amrolia said.

Commenting on the development, VVF's Senior VP (Personal Care) Piyush Jindal said, ''This is a significant step towards expanding our global footprint. During 2006, a significant expansion of capacities has happened at Dubai plants, followed by set up of a Singapore office.'' With this, the company has enhanced its capabilities to address needs of customers in the vast market of the American continent, he said.

''We would now cater to clients needs not just with soap, but other skin care and oral care products on a scale much more than our Ontario, Canada facility could,'' Mr Jindal said.

VVF Ltd manufactures soaps and cosmetics for companies like Johnson&Johnson, Henkel, Reckitt Benckiser, J L Morrison and Cussons. The company has plants in Mumbai, Daman, Navsari, Kutch to cater to the Indian and overseas market.

At Taloja, it has a Oleochemicals plant, the largest such single unit in Asia, supplying European and American customers. The company's production facilities at Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone, Dubai, help cater to the personal care product needs of international buyers in Europe, US, UK, Japan and Middle East.

In the American continent VVF has a plant in Ontario, Canada, and Oleochemical distribution facilities in Newark, Memphis, Chicago and Los Angeles.

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