“Thirty and Thriving, Crafting a Better Future: L’Oréal Suzhou Factory Ushers in a New Era of Smart Manufacturing and Sustainable Development”

• L’Oréal China’s first factory and the Group’s largest production base globally—the Suzhou factory—celebrates its 30th anniversary, setting a benchmark for global manufacturing excellence within the Group.
• The UPX Phase II smart manufacturing workshop is officially launched, leveraging innovative applications such as AI visual inspection and advanced robotics to usher in a new phase of high-end manufacturing.
• A new industrial water recycling project is officially initiated, expected to be completed by the end of 2027, with a target of saving over 180,000 tons of freshwater resources annually.

Suzhou, ChinaJune 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On June 11, L’Oréal China celebrated the 30th anniversary of its Suzhou factory. As the first factory established by L’Oréal in China, the Suzhou factory broke ground in 1996, marking a crucial starting point for the Group’s deep-rooted development in the Chinese market and witnessing L’Oréal’s journey of synchronized growth with China. After three decades of sustained investment and innovation, the Suzhou factory has grown into the Group’s largest production base globally and a key benchmark in its worldwide operations network, serving Chinese consumers with manufacturing excellence and contributing a Chinese practice model to the global beauty industry.

Attendees at the commemorative event included Fan Bo, Member of the Standing Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Suzhou Municipal Party Committee; Wu Hongbo, former President of the China International Public Relations Association and former UN Under-Secretary-General; Shen Mi, Member of the Standing Committee of the Suzhou Municipal Party Committee and Secretary of the Suzhou Industrial Park Party Working Committee; Yan Jiangying, Chairperson of the China Association of Fragrance Flavour and Cosmetic Industries; Liu Hua, Deputy Secretary of the Suzhou Industrial Park Party Working Committee and Deputy Director of the Management Committee; Joan Valadou, Consul General of France in Shanghai; Antoine Vanlaeys, Member of L’Oréal Group’s Executive Committee and Chief Operations Officer; Vincent Boinay, Member of L’Oréal Group’s Executive Committee, President of North Asia, and CEO of China; Lan Zhenzhen, President of Public Affairs for L’Oréal North Asia and China; Bertrand Mille, Senior Vice President of Operations for L’Oréal North Asia and China; Rui Han, Technical Director of L’Oréal Asia Pacific Production; and Lu Xiangling, General Manager of L’Oréal Suzhou Shangmei Factory.

Vincent Boinay, President of North Asia and CEO of L’Oréal China, stated: “The development journey of the Suzhou factory is a microcosm of L’Oréal’s shared growth and progress with the Chinese market. Over the past three decades, we have continuously invested in Suzhou and China, consistently enhancing our local operational capabilities. In 2024, L’Oréal’s first global Smart Operations Center was established in Suzhou, further strengthening our ability to serve the Chinese market. Moving forward, we will continue to fulfill our strategic commitment to ‘In China, With China, For China, Inspiring the World with China,’ working with partners to drive innovation and growth.”

Since its establishment, the Suzhou factory has completed four phases of workshop construction, continuously expanding production capacity. Currently, the factory covers an area of 154,000 square meters, with over 100 production lines serving numerous iconic brands under L’Oréal China’s four divisions, including L’Oréal Paris, Kiehl’s, La Roche-Posay, CeraVe, and L’Oréal Professionnel. It meets the evolving needs of Chinese consumers with efficient and agile supply capabilities. At the same time, the factory maintains strict quality control, with each finished product undergoing an average of 100 quality tests, ensuring a safe and reliable product experience for consumers.

On the occasion of its 30th anniversary, L’Oréal simultaneously announced the official launch of the UPX Phase II smart manufacturing workshop. As a highly automated, AI-driven new-generation smart workshop, UPX Phase II integrates AI quality inspection into core production processes, marking the Suzhou factory’s advancement toward higher-level smart manufacturing. This significant investment further underscores the Group’s firm commitment to collaborating with Suzhou and China’s innovation ecosystem.

Antoine Vanlaeys, Member of L’Oréal Group’s Executive Committee and Chief Operations Officer, stated: “Our operations system is a vital foundation for L’Oréal’s business development, and factories are at the core of this system. We continuously optimize our manufacturing footprint to stay close to markets and local consumers, always adhering to stringent and highly consistent quality and safety standards. The Suzhou factory is a vivid embodiment of this vision. At 30, the Suzhou factory continues to ‘create beauty’ with a powerful localized engine. Our ongoing investment in the Suzhou factory reflects L’Oréal’s long-term confidence in the Chinese market and the future of the beauty industry.”

Alongside driving “manufacturing innovation,” the Suzhou factory has deeply integrated sustainability into its operations. The factory achieved 100% renewable energy usage in 2019, becoming the first factory in Suzhou to reach this milestone. To further lead environmental solutions, the factory is investing in a new industrial water recycling project to ensure 100% of industrial process water is recycled and reused. The project is expected to be completed and operational by the end of 2027, saving an estimated over 180,000 tons of freshwater resources annually.

Shen Mi, Member of the Standing Committee of the Suzhou Municipal Party Committee and Secretary of the Suzhou Industrial Park Party Working Committee, stated: “L’Oréal Group is a global leader in the beauty industry and an important witness to and contributor to the leapfrog development and transformation of the Suzhou Industrial Park. Over the past three decades, L’Oréal Group has steadfastly chosen and continuously invested in the park, making significant contributions to the economic and social development of Suzhou and the park, especially in industrial transformation and upgrading. This will also inject new momentum into the park’s development toward high-end, intelligent, and green industries.”

During the celebration, L’Oréal will also offer factory tour opportunities to local middle school girls through programs such as “TogetHer in STEM” and “Tech Girls.” By providing close-up exposure to cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and sustainable manufacturing, these initiatives aim to help more young women understand opportunities in science, technology, and engineering fields, sparking their interest and passion for scientific innovation.

Joan Valadou, Consul General of France in Shanghai, stated: “As the largest beauty group globally and in China, L’Oréal is a witness to, beneficiary of, and significant contributor to Sino-French economic cooperation. The development journey of the Suzhou factory fully reflects the deep integration of French industrial innovation advantages with the vitality of the Chinese market, showcasing the fruitful results achieved based on trust, cooperation, and shared vision. It also sets an excellent example for Sino-French industrial collaboration.”