SC Johnson to make new product in RP for export

S Johnson & Son, Inc. is hoping to replicate the success of Unilever Philippines in "growing" a new household product that it will produce in the Philippines and export abroad.

Unilever Philippines manufactures and exports the Surf detergent bar and powder and the Rexona deodorant stick.

In an interview with The STAR, Reinhard A. Scheliner, general manager of S Johnson in the Philippines, disclosed that it was introduced last year and is manufacturing locally the household cleaning product Mr. Muscle which is well-known in Europe but is a relative newcomer in the Asian region.

S Johnson is already well-known for its other brands that include Baygon, Raid, Off!, Glade, Bay Fresh, Johnson, Pledge and Toilet Duck.

The company has been in the Philippines since April 22, 1957 and is set to celebrate its 50th year in the country.

Its total business in the Philippines amounts to about P2 billion.

According to Scheliner, S Johnson produces, through a tolling operation, all of its Baygon, Off!, Johnson, Toilet Duck and Mr. Muscle products here in the country.

It produces some of its Raid, Glade and most of its Bay Fresh products here.

However, it still imports all of its Pledge products.

Except for its Mr. Muscle household cleaner, Mr. Schellner said, all of its other products are well-known and established already.

S.J. Johnson is thus trying to "grow" the Mr. Muscle brand locally and, if successful, plans to export the product from the Philippines to Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Mr. Muscle, Schellmer said, has already been introduced in Australia and China.

If S Johnson is successful in building up the Mr. Muscle brand locally, Schellner said, the company, through its tolling partners Multi-Mix and Drug Makers, may infuse additional investments to manufacture the household cleaning products for export abroad.

S Johnson, Schellner admitted, is already exporting some of its Off! products produced in the Philippines to Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam.

One big hurdle though, Schellner said, is the relatively small Philippine domestic market.

Without a strong domestic base, Schellner acknowledged, the company may have some difficulty in making the Philippines a regional center for manufacturing.