Guerlain’s new skin care and make-up production facility, La Ruche, has opened in Chartres, France.
Following the inauguration of LVMH’s Fragrance and Cosmetics Research Centre in November 2013, which employs over 250 researchers in Orléans, Guerlain’s new production facility at the heart of Cosmetic Valley was unveiled by French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, Bernard Arnault, President and CEO of the LVMH group, and Laurent Boillot, President and CEO of Guerlain.
The facility, exclusively dedicated to skin care and make-up, 75% of which is destined for export, incorporates state-of-the-art technology and solidifies LVMH’s fragrance and cosmetics production and research as firmly rooted in France. La Ruche employs 350 people. Arnault, said: “This inauguration is an important event for Guerlain and for our fragrance and cosmetics business group. This ultra-high-technology facility is in line with the group’s strategy to consistently enhance its expertise in the fragrance and cosmetics industry whilst complying with the highest quality standards required.”
According to Guerlain, La Ruche provides a production facility in line with its ambition for development. The success of La Petite Robe Noire fragrance and the transformation of its Boutique at 68 Champs-Elysées in Paris are perfect examples of this acceleration over the past few years, it says.
“Since the creation of its first production facility 187 years ago, Guerlain has always exclusively manufactured its products in France,” emphasised Boillot. “La Ruche showcases the pairing of high technology with the unique know-how of our 350 staff members; it will assist us in meeting the challenges over the coming years.”
La Ruche is one the pioneering facilities in the application of ISO8 pharmaceutical standards in cosmetics, with 50 clean rooms with positive pressure, filtered air ventilation and laminar flow cabinets. The facility obtained a HEQ (High Environmental Quality) certification to Excellent level, thanks to 21,000 m2 of bioclimatic design (including solar panels and a living green roof), eco-management of the building with rainwater recovery, the arrangement of the green spaces and protection of biodiversity.
