Production of detergent starts at new facility

Local suppliers now working on P&G projects abroad.

KARACHI: Procter and Gamble (P&G) Pakistan has commenced production of Ariel, its brand of detergent, from the company’s laundry detergent plant situated at Port Qasim Authority (PQA).

The plant, which has been completed within a period of two years, is P&G’s second manufacturing facility in the country.

“This state-of-the-art plant is run by Pakistanis. Less than two per cent of the employees are experts from abroad,” said Sherif Gomaa, product supply director at P&G. In addition to providing direct employment to 160 people, it is estimated that the plant will generate close to 3,500 job opportunities over a 10-year period.

Gomaa, who hails from Egypt, added that Pakistan is an important market for the company given the country’s population which is estimated at 170 million. Furthermore, local suppliers in design, construction and maintenance, developed during the course of the project are now helping with other P&G projects in South Africa and Nigeria.

Although the company hopes to double the local supplier base by next year, the production plant secures about 40 per cent of the raw materials from within Pakistan.

It seems that P&G is keen to dig deeper into the local market since the production capacity of the detergent is more than its present demand in the country, according to Gomaa.

Responding to a question, an official of the company said that the new facility had also created export opportunities.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2010.