Procter and Gamble (P&G) began business in Belgium over 60 years ago and has maintained a strong presence ever since as one of the world’s largest fast-moving consumer goods companies. With a large R&D center in Strombeek-Bever and a production site in Mechelen, P&G is invested in the growth of its operations, brands and employees in Belgium.
Procter & Gamble offices in Strombeek-Bever
The P&G plant in Mechelen was founded in 1956 to produce detergents. In its first year, 100 employees produced 5,000 tons of detergents. Today, around 300 employees produce dishwasher tablets for global distribution. The site is continuously working to improve their environmental footprint by minimizing waste and making more efficient use of water and energy. Since 2017, the entire site is powered by green energy.
In Stombeek-Bever, the Brussels Innovation Center (B.I.C.) is where new ideas come to life through the P&G innovation pipeline. This is where Fabric and Home Care products are developed, to be used by around 2.5 billion consumers worldwide. More than 1,100 employees work at the B.I.C. site, including over 600 scientists and engineers. The Brussels site has been inventing and responding to consumer habits since the 1960s. It was at B.I.C. that the first enzymatic powders were created in the 60s and then in the 80s where the first liquid detergents were created to respond to new fabrics and care needs of that time.
When consumer habits changed again in the 2010s, P&G’s Brussels Innovation Center designed the Ariel Pods. The first of their kind, these small three-compartment capsules of liquid detergent revolutionized the way consumers wash their clothes. In addition to being easy to use, the pods have many sustainability aspects, being more compact than liquid or powder detergent. They contain up to 80% less water in their formula, compared with our liquid detergent. Importantly, Ariel Pods also allow consumers to reduce their environmental footprint by washing in cold and quick cycles without compromising on the cleanliness of their clothes. Other than Ariel, the Brussels site is responsible for the design of other leading brands such as Dash, Lenor, Mr. Clean, Antikal, Febreze/Ambi Pur, Swiffer and Dreft/Fairy.
A further aspect of the P&G Brussels Innovation Center is their work in driving growth and creating joint opportunities with start-ups and value chain partners through its InQbet campus on the Brussels site. It allows P&G to work with the most innovative start-ups and enables joint emersion in the latest technology via hackathons and co-working pitching.
About the company in this story...
Procter & Gamble
P&G was established in Belgium in 1956
R&D center in Strombeek-Bever, production site in Mechelen.
1100+ employees at the Brussels Innovation Center
GREEN POWER
THE MECHELEN PLANT IS ENTIRELY POWERED BY GREEN ENERGY SINCE 2017
Procter and Gamble: Global production from Belgium