P&G to invest more than $100m in new manufacturing facility in Singapore

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong delivering his speech at the Procter & Gamble 35th anniversary gala dinner on June 20.

Consumer goods company Procter & Gamble (P&G) will inject more than $100 million into setting up a new manufacturing facility in Singapore.

The company announced this at its 35th anniversary gala dinner at Capella Singapore hotel on Sentosa on Tuesday.

“This substantial investment represents P&G’s strategic vision to harness Singapore’s position as a global epicentre for trade, technology and talent,” said Mr Stanislav Vecera, P&G’s President for Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

More details about the facility will be announced at a later date, but the new plant is expected to create jobs.

P&G set up an innovation centre at Biopolis in 2014. It also has a perfume manufacturing facility in Tuas that was set up in 2008.

P&G Singapore has grown from under 100 employees in 1987 to about 2,300 staff from more than 40 nationalities today.

Singapore serves as the company’s Asia-Pacific headquarters, as well as the global headquarters for cosmetics brand SK-II and P&G’s skin and personal care businesses. Its other brands include haircare brands Pantene, Head & Shoulders, and skincare brand Olay.
 

Mr Vecera said: “We chose Singapore as our home in this region because of its strategic location, robust business infrastructure, innovation and digital ecosystem and exceptional talent.”

Also speaking at the gala dinner was Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who said Singapore has survived and thrived as an open migrant nation.

“We’ve learnt over the decades that what really makes the difference is strong partnerships. Because the Government – no matter how effective – cannot do everything alone; we need to work with partners. Partners such as leading companies from around the world, like P&G.”

Mr Wong also noted that the strong reservoir of trust between the Government, employers and workers and unions, as well as close collaboration with research institutions, universities and community groups, have resulted in “a reliable and trusted ecosystem... where Singapore can always be relied upon to deliver results”.

Economic conventions that Singapore relied on for shared growth and prosperity – open markets, free trade and maximum efficiency – are now being set aside, or at least deprioritised, in favour of overriding national security considerations, Mr Wong noted.

“That’s why we all feel a palpable sense of unease. The move away from an integrated global economy is accelerating, and no one knows where we are heading towards, or what will be the landing point for the new global order,” he said.

“We will continue to turn our challenges and vulnerabilities into opportunities as we have done over the decades... We can achieve this only by working closely with our partners.”

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