GT Cosmetics opens P13M plant in Batangas

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu-based beauty products maker, GT Cosmetics, officially opened its P13 million manufacturing plant in Batangas, to take on an aggressive move in penetrating the Luzon market.

GT Cosmetics decided to put up a manufacturing facility in Luzon, which accounts for two-thirds of its nationwide market, to be able to cater to the increasing demand of its proudly-Philippine-made beauty products.

The P13-million Bulacan plant will have a daily production capacity of 4,000 units of each product, similar to that of the main GT Cosmetics Manufacturing plant in Liloan, Cebu.

“With our plant in Luzon now operational, our ever-growing clientele is assured of a continuous supply of our products,” said GT Cosmetics owner and national sales manager Leonora B. Salvane, who still has reservations in acknowledging that GT Cosmetics has already carved a niche in the Philippine beauty products industry.

Since it was founded in 1994, GT Cosmetics slowly captured its market initially by word of mouth and lately through social media – or “peer to peer” marketing -- that miraculously made its products among the sought-after brands in the country today.

The Bulacan plant is also expected to augment the production output in Cebu as GT Cosmetics is contemplating on expanding its foreign market following its first-ever export shipment of over 1,000 beauty soap products to Finland late last year.

“We have been receiving requests of samples of our products, especially our bestsellers – the papaya and carrot soap variants – from Japan, Hong Kong and Dubai, and we hope to consummate a deal with these clients soon,” Salvane said.

Salvane, who is a chemical engineer, formulated the company’s beauty bar soaps using organic and herbal extracts that help improve the skin. It comes in three variants namely the carrot, papaya, and bleaching organic soaps.

According to one of the big retailing companies’ report, GT Cosmetics topped the beauty soap brands in the market and was fifth in mainstream soaps nationwide in April this year. Its new line of cosmetic cream products -- night cream, day cream, sun-block, and toner -- are also starting to gain popularity among new and avid users.

All GT Cosmetics products can be purchased in about 200 retail outlets such as Watsons Personal Care stores, Robinson’s supermarkets, SM malls and supermarkets, Savemore supermarkets, Gaisano Metro chain of stores, as well as in other leading malls, department stores, supermarkets, and soon in all leading drugstores nationwide.

Despite the influx of beauty product brands in the market, including those that have already made its name in the international market, Salvane said this Cebu-made beauty products have gained name in the Philippine market, as well as abroad.

Last year, the company made its aggressive marketing penetration by increasing its distribution network that already included the availability of the products in the country’s larger supermarket chains, health and wellness outlets, like Watsons, Robinsons, and SM supermarket outlets, among others.

Aside from its top selling carrot and papaya beauty soap variants, and the bleaching and sunscreen moisturizing creams, Salvane said the company is currently awaiting an approval from the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) for additional product lines such as lotion, among others.

At present, the company produces an average of 4,000 soaps a day, through its manufacturing plant in Cebu. Salvane said with the increasing number of demand from Luzon, and Mindanao, the company needed to expand its manufacturing plant, thus it decided to invest on building the Luzon-base plant.

GT Cosmetics claimed to have used organic and herbal mixtures specifically for its different beauty soap variants, this has made the product more popular because of its healthy formulation, she said. (FREEMAN)