Numberous Chinese politicians and business people, and Dr. Simone Bagel-Trah, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board and of the Shareholders’ Committee, attended the inaugural ceremony for the new facility. Henkel is already generating 45 percent of its total sales in emerging markets, and 55 percent of its employees are based in these countries. One of Henkel’s financial targets for 2016 is to increase the sales generated in emerging markets to 10 billion euros while aiming for total sales of 20 billion euros.

Henkel will concentrate its existing adhesives production operations in the greater Shanghai region at the new site, located in the Shanghai Chemical Industry Park. The move is part of the company’s ongoing program to consolidate and optimize its global production network.

The “Dragon Plant” is a model for sustainability and efficiency. Compared to a traditional production plant, it uses only half the amount of water thanks to condensed water recovery systems, while recycling has reduced the volume of packaging materials by 60 percent, and electricity usage for factory lighting has been cut by 90 percent due to special translucent roofs that let in daylight. There is also a system for recovering waste heat, and the factory includes innovative filling equipment designed to prevent leaks and spills of adhesives.