MANILA, Philippines — Splash Corp., the Filipino-owned producer of personal care products, plans to expand in Africa as part of efforts to become a global player.
In a recent interview with The Star, Splash founding chairman and CEO Rolando Hortaleza revealed grand plans for the Filipino-owned company which include penetrating the mainstream personal care market in the country and putting up a manufacturing plant in Nigeria.
He said they already have a toll manufacturer in Africa but because of strong demand, the company is considering putting up a manufacturing plant there within the next few years.
“In Nigeria, we’re looking at the possibility of putting up a plant,” Hortaleza said.
This, he said, could be the platform to expand in the whole African region, touted by some Filipino businessmen as the new frontier for expansion compared to Europe and Asia which are already developed.
The company established a toll manufacturing agreement in Nigeria some seven years ago and demand is strong with a shipment of about four containers a month.
The popular brand in Africa is Splash’s Extract brands of skin care products. These products are specifically formulated to deliver intense moisturizing, natural and effective whitening while deeply nourishing skin to reveal smoother, softer, naturally radiant skin.
In Asia, Hortaleza said the company is looking at expanding in Malaysia and Indonesia.
“We’re looking at Indonesia, Myanmar and the rest of the ASEAN region,” he said.
He said there is a market for personal care products such as skin care and hair color.
“Competition is not that stiff in the ASEAN region,” Hortaleza said.
Splash wants to bring Maxi-Peel, the Philippines’ leading skin care brand in the exfoliant category, to the region.
SkinWhite’s latest Lotion with Light Feel Technology has also been quickly embraced by the market.
With demand for the company’s products growing, Hortaleza said the company is now ready to approach the next level which is to expand in the mainstream market such as soap and hair care products.
Contributing to the resurgence of Splash is the expanding reach and growing efficiency of Prime Global Distribution Corp., its wholly-owned subsidiary which currently handles sales, distribution, and merchandising services for Splash and outside principals.
Prime Global’s long term vision is to be a full-service company and supplement these services with marketing and brand development for its principals in the Philippines and internationally.
As of the second quarter of 2018, the reach of PGDC has grown by 26.8 percent compared to the same period last year.
Prime Global works with 26 distributors that service retailers from sari-sari stores to the giant drugstores, department stores and supermarkets.