GT Cosmetics (photo from elegantlypureblog.blogspot.com)
TO PREPARE for the opportunities when the Asean integration goes into full swing next year, homegrown beauty brand GT Cosmetics is building another production plant in Cebu to double the firm’s production capacity within the year.
They have allocated P30 million for a 3,000-square meter production plant that will be located in Tayud, Consolacion, Cebu, said Leonora Salvane, GT Cosmetics founder and chief executive officer during a briefing in Cebu City last Wednesday.
This is the firm’s third production plant which includes the first plant in Liloan, Cebu and another in Marilao, Bulacan which opened in 2012.
“The Asean integration will open up a lot of opportunity for us. The third plant should equip us better with the needed additional capacity in producing our products both existing and those in the pipeline,” said Salvane.
The Consolacion plant will double the firm’s capacity to 40,000 products a day, said Salvane, who announced that they will come out with four new products this year.
These products are Papaya Lotion, Liquid Body Soap, fragrances and Body Scrub.
Salvane said that they have already met officials of Watsons who advised them to come up with more products as Watsons will be expanding in all the 10-member Asean countries.
Salvane said the Asean integration will expand their market to 600 million consumers.
GT products already have a strong presence in Japan, Korea, China, US, Canada and Finland which Salvane said has been steadily growing.
GT Cosmetics started as a home-based enterprise in 1994 with an initial investment of P500. Salvane, a chemical engineer, made soaps in her kitchen using baking pans.
Today, the company employs about 350 people and earns a gross monthly income of P25 million.