Unilever Leeds
| Unilever Leeds | |
|---|---|
Leeds Sourcing Unit | |
  | |
| General information | |
| Type | Research centre and factory |
| Address | Leeds, LS14 2AR |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 53°50′N 1°28′W / 53.83°N 1.46°W |
| Elevation | 120 m (394 ft) |
| Current tenants | 600 staff, including 150 scientists |
| Client | Unilever Research |
| Owner | Unilever Deodorants |
| Website | |
| Unilever | |
Unilever Leeds, in the north-east of Leeds off the A6120 Leeds Outer Ring Road, is a large cosmetics factory and research site of the Anglo-Dutch company Unilever that makes all of its deodorant products for the UK. It is the largest deodorants factory in Europe.[1] The factory supplies the whole of Europe.
History
[edit]Unilever is the UK's and the world's largest manufacturer of deodorants. Around 180m Unilever deodorants are sold in the UK each year. Unilever has three times the market share of its closest competitors. In the mid-1990s, the UK was producing 10% of the world's, and 25% of Europe's, aerosol products.[2]
The aerosol was invented in the 1920s by Norwegian Erik Rotheim. The site was Elida Gibbs, previously Joseph Watson and Sons Ltd, when known as Gibbs Pepsodent, run by Joseph Watson, 1st Baron Manton. All production moved to Whinmoor in May 1988. The site has also made toothpaste, such as Gibbs SR.[3] It became Elida Fabergé in early 1996. At Management Today's Best Factory Awards in 2000, it won the UK's best factory. It made around 300 million aerosols that year.
Lynx was launched in 1985, and by 1991 it had £40m sales.[4]
Structure
[edit]The site is situated north of the roundabout of the A64 and A6120. Due to the flammable substances (LPG and ethanol) stored on site to create the propellants, the site is regulated by the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations 2015.[5] The cosmetics industry across Europe is regulated by Cosmetics Europe.
Research
[edit]The site employs around 50 people to test its products on; people are subjected to temperatures up to 56C. One of the main substances in aerosol anti-perspirants is aluminium chlorohydrate. There are around 150 scientists on the site.[6]
The site has worked with DCA Design International Ltd of Warwick, for design of its aerosol cans
Products
[edit]It makes compressed aerosols, such as Impulse (body mist). It produces close to a billion deodorants a year. It can produce around 3,665 aerosols per minute across 12 packing lines. The site also has 3 roll-on packing lines with a total output of 750 bottles per minute between them. [7]
See also
[edit]- Economy of Leeds
- Journal of Applied Toxicology
- Procter & Gamble on Tyneside, its main competitor, and Reckitt factory in Derby
- The British Aerosol Manufacturers' Association (BAMA)
- Unilever Research & Development Port Sunlight Laboratory on the Wirral
References
[edit]- ^ Unilever 2014
- ^ The Times, 12 September 1995, page 20
- ^ Wolverhampton Express and Star Monday 3 June 1991, page 5
- ^ The Scotsman Tuesday 26 November 1991, page 25
- ^ Public Safety PDF
- ^ Unilever 2012
- ^ The Times, 4 March 2006
External links
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