RB’s decision to invest £200m at its historic Hull site is a “massive vote of confidence” for the city, its CEO has said.
Laxman Narasimhan, CEO at RB, visited the company’s near-180-year-old home in Dansom Lane on Tuesday morning to officially .
RB has also announced it is to invest £95m in its existing manufacturing facilities in Hull.
Mr Narasimhan said Hull had been chosen ahead of rival locations in Singapore and New Jersey, USA, to be home to the new world-class centre.
Addressing an audience in Hull, he said: “RB has played a significant role in the local community here.
“Part of the reason we chose Hull over other places (for the £105m centre) is the history of talent we have in this region.
“The company has a long and a rich history. I stood in this building and looked just beyond the parking lot, and saw the area where in days gone by, you had workers’ housing, and it brought home the fact that business and communities need to work closer together.
“This is a major vote of confidence.”
One of RB’s six major R&D facilities in the world, the new centre will be the global technical innovation hub for household products such as Nurofen and Strepsils.
The investment marks the latest chapter in RB’s 179-year history in Hull and puts RB at the forefront of consumer health innovation.
The S and I Centre also hopes to act as a magnet for the best scientific talent globally and locally, and has created 200 new jobs in the city.
Speaking more about the decision to open the new centre in Hull, Dr Bruce Charlesworth, chief medical officer for relief, hygiene and wellness, said: “The heritage was a big thing. Reckitts has been here on the site since 1840.
“There was also the attraction of talent. There has been a move towards the Northern Powerhouse, and northern universities getting a better name for themselves.
“Being located next to an existing manufacturing facility is also important for R&D. Hull is home to one of the company’s biggest health care sites, so that was a big factor.
“Also, looking at the financial side, Hull is an attractive place to invest – we received support from the Regional Growth Fund, you have got land which is relatively cheap, and labour costs are lower.
“To be honest, there were very few cons when we looked at Hull.”
Watch: RB opens £105m Science and Innovation Centre in Hull
Dr Charlesworth said a lack of competition in the city compared to other areas had also made Hull an attractive proposition for RB.
“We want to be able to both attract and retain the talent here in Hull,” he said.
“We felt in Hull we could grab the people we wanted, nurture them and keep them. There are other places in the country where you could go, but you would be competing against other businesses.
“It is a vote of confidence for Hull, and a vote of confidence for education in the region.”
R&D teams for seven of RB’s biggest brands are based in Hull, with more than 300 million consumer units of brands including Nurofen, Lemsip and Dettol being manufactured at the site each year.
