Belgian hygiene products manufacturer Ontex will building a new plant in Dourges in northern France, replacing to smaller plants in Wasquehal and Arras, France. The company expects the construction of the building to be complete in summer 2016 and the move of the production lines to begin soonafter and continue into 2017.
The Wasquehal and Arras sites manufacture incontinence products. They are located near the new plant and employ around 350 people who will keep their jobs at the new site. In March, Ontex said it would consolidate the French sites, which primarily serve the adult incontinence markets, to not only improve its production capabilities but to also serve its customers in the region. This announcement came only one month after Ontex proved its commitment to the adult incontinence market through the purchase of Artsana, a leading producer of adult incontinence products in Italy.
Last month, Ontex improved its North American profile by purchasing Mexican hygiene manufacturer Grupo Mabe, which offers a full line of baby diapers, feminine hygiene items and adult incontinence goods and has sales of about €400 million, most of which occur within Mexico and the U.S.
