Firmenich officially started the construction of its new world-class manufacturing facility dedicated to flavors in Zhangjiagang, China. The symbolic ground-breaking ceremony was attended by local dignitaries and authorities, including the Secretary of Communist Party of China of Zhang Jia Gang city. This new plant, at the cutting edge of the industry from both a technology and capacity perspective, will enable Firmenich to provide superior service to its customers across China with increased speed-to-market and operational excellence.

“Our significant investment in Zhangjiagang, reinforces our long-term commitment to China, our second largest market worldwide,” said Gilbert Ghostine, CEO Firmenich. “It is critical for us to operate with worldclass capacity and technology in China, to best meet the dynamic innovation needs of our global and local customers.” 
 
“By significantly increasing our flavor production capacity in China, we are accelerating our customers’ access to our flavor solutions,” said Boet Brinkgreve, President of Firmenich China and Global Ingredients. “This cutting-edge plant is designed to not only increase our operational efficiency, but also to optimize our environmental footprint.” Click to Enlarge
 
To advance Firmenich’s ambitious 2020 environmental goals, this site is being constructed according to the highest sustainability standards, particularly in the areas of water and emission management. The plant will have a state-of-the-art waste water treatment system, enabling the recycling of the water used on site. It will also use high efficiency processing equipment, lighting, and building components to optimize energy consumption, while recovering heat from cleaning water and building ventilation. 
 
Firmenich has been well established in China for over 20 years. This new site expected to open in 2019, will complement the Group’s existing manufacturing facilities in Shanghai and Kunming. To best meet its customers’ needs with innovative and locally-relevant solutions, Firmenich also operates a state-of-the-art Research and Development facility in Shanghai and commercial offices in Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou.