Unilever To Permanently Close Plant

Unilever, the international manufacturing company on John Street in Clinton will permanently close the plant by the end of 2012, according to news received from plant manager Paul Reiland today.

First Selectman Willie Fritz said he heard from representatives from the company that they are closing the Clinton plant.

The move will affect about 50 salaried and 135 hourly employees, plus an additional large temporary workforce, said Fritz.

Fritz did not yet know of plans for the disposition of any employees.

Unilever is a multi-national manufacturer of well-known consumer brand products such as Suave, Dove, Vaseline, Bertolli, Lipton, and Sunlight, to name a few.

They have operated out of the former headquarters of Pond's Cold Cream which was founded in the early 1900s.  Pond's merged with the Chesebrough Manufacturing Company which was then acquired by the Dutch company Unilever.

A press release from the company:

Unilever, one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies, today announced that it will be closing its manufacturing plant in Clinton, CT.

“Continually achieving greater efficiencies across our Supply Chain network is essential to our business,” said Paul Reiland, plant manager. “An extensive and careful analysis has shown that greater efficiencies can be achieved by shifting production to other company plants in the US. This decision in no way reflects the dedication or performance of our colleagues at the Clinton facility.”

Production from Clinton – which manufactures Vaseline Petroleum Jelly; Pond’s and Dove face care; Axe, Dove and Suave hair styling products; Dove lotion, shampoo and conditioner; as well as related trial and travel products, hair and skin tube products – will be transferred to other sites within the Unilever network in several phases. Plant production transfer is expected to begin in 2012 and to be completed by year-end 2012.

The decision to close the plant will affect 49 salaried and 135 hourly employees.

About Unilever North America Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods with strong operations in more than 100 countries and sales in 180. With products that are used over two billion times a day around the world, we work to create a better future every day and help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others. In the United States, Canada and the Greater Caribbean (Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico) the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry’s, Bertolli, Blue Band, Breyers, Caress, Consort For Men, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, fds, Good Humor, Hellmann’s, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!, Just for Me!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Motions, Nexxus, Noxzema, OMO, Pond’s, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Ragu, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Soft & Beautiful, St. Ives, Suave, tcb, TIGI, TRESemmé, Vaseline, and Wish-Bone. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs more than 13,000 people across North America – generating nearly $10 billion in sales in 2010. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com, www.unilever.ca, or www.unilevercaribbean.com.

More news on this to follow.