Unilever to Build New US research Facility in New Haven, CT

Center will be company’s biggest U.S. R&D infrastructure investment in decades
 

Unilever is building a new American research facility.

The London-based company is investing $270 million to build an innovation center in New Haven, Conn., with plans to develop skin and hair products for the U.S. market and global customers.

The new investment comes as Unilever cements itself as a beauty, wellness and personal-care company after shedding slower-growing food brands. In recent years, it has spun off its ice-cream arm, sold its tea business and divested itself of its spreads operation. Then, in March, it agreed to break off its condiment and cooking-product business and combine it with McCormick, the spice company.

That leaves Unilever to focus on brands including Dove personal-care products, Nexxus shampoos and Olly vitamins. After the food-business separation is completed, 95% of the $125 billion company’s U.S. portfolio will be in beauty, wellness and personal care.

The new center, slated to open in 2029, is Unilever’s biggest U.S. R&D infrastructure investment in 40 years. The U.S. is Unilever’s biggest market for consumption.

“The U.S. is very much the center of gravity for Unilever,” said Herrish Patel, president of Unilever USA. India is another important market for the refashioned company. “Just think about these two powerhouses that we’re building,” Patel said.

Among other capabilities, the new site will be the company’s global center for skin care and cleansing and have a “human performance lab” that will enable on-site testing of ingestibles.

Patel said he expects that marketers based at its Hoboken, N.J., corporate offices will be spending a lot of time at the new hub, which will allow the company to create new products more quickly.

“If something’s trending on social, we can make a dash to New Haven and figure out how we can quickly put something out there,” he said.

About 300 employees will work at the center, which will replace a facility in Trumbull, Conn.

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