Unilever is an expansive brand and one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies. The overarching company is home to more than 400 brands, including many we all know, love, and probably use every day. Globally, Unilever has a network spanning more than 190 countries worldwide. However, one of the current key developments for Unilever is in Mexico where they are investing in new facilities and sustainable programmes to expand their network, whilst providing jobs to support the local community in the process.
Unilever Mexico operates in 11 countries across the Latin American region, working with 9000 collaborators to facilitate Unilever’s manufacturing and distribution needs. The Mexican division of Unilever has a clear purpose to make sustainable living commonplace. Their strategy for delivering this is through achieving consistent, competitive, profitable, and responsible growth. We see these values coming into play in the announcement of a new manufacturing facility to be built in Mexico. The new manufacturing plant in Nuevo Leon comes as part of a $400 million investment in the country over the next 3 years. The plant will be located in the border state of Salinas Victoria, on the outskirts of Monterrey and will manufacture beauty and personal care products. Furthermore, it will provide 1,200 new jobs both directly and indirectly to the local community.
The new plant is set to open next year in 2024 and will bring a crucial expansion for Unilever in the country not far from the border to the United States of America. This investment in Mexico comes as many big brands are investing in facilities there to bring supply chains closer to their final destinations. Consequently, Mexico is a key centre of exports for Unilever to other nations, and so the new plant will be the 5th in the country, adding to the 4 plants which are currently in operation under the Mexican division of the company.
The Unilever brand is known for its sustainable initiatives with 100% of its energy used worldwide coming from renewable sources, and 67% of its raw materials used across its range of products are sourced from sustainable farms. Unilever Mexico maintains this high level of sustainability throughout its work ensuring that no waste ends up in landfill from its operations. A key focus for Unilever Mexico is sustainability, focusing crucially on the initiatives towards the conservation of soil. To do this Unilever Mexico has established a set of principles focused on ensuring the regenerating agriculture in the country by aiding farmers and small producers across the companies’ value chain. By supporting soil nutrition, the capture of carbon, water care, restoration and regeneration of the land, Unilever Mexico can support the biodiversity of the land. Therefore, the company is working beyond its manufacturing facilities to ensure that the land around its facilities and across the region is cared for. Unilever Mexico is ensuring that, through its work in Latin America, it is leaving a lasting positive impact beyond its production lines.
Furthermore, over the last 15 years, Unilever Mexico has achieved key advancements in their sustainability programmes and certified production. Now, Unilever Mexico has achieved an 80% sustainable supply across all its key raw materials, and a 100% sustainable supply in its soy, sugar, and cocoa production. Furthermore, 91% of the 13 main vegetables and 96% of the paper and cardboard used by the company are also sustainably sourced. Therefore, throughout Unilever Mexico’s operations they are meeting the sustainable goals of the overarching company, and as a division are leading the way across Mexico for facilitating the manufacturing of crucial health and beauty products in the most sustainable way possible.
Overall, Unilever Mexico continues to expand to meet the needs of a growing health and beauty industry. The investment into the country by Unilever is set to broaden its possibilities and bring with it key jobs to serve the local community. It is clear that even with the expansion of the industry and the need for more manufacturing facilities, Unilever Mexico is still focusing on ways to lead the industry toward sustainability, by promoting the necessary support of the country’s agricultural development.
