Henkel invests $70m in new Connecticut R&D campus for consumer brands

Henkel has announced the development of a new Centre of Research & Development in Trumbull, Connecticut, representing the company's largest non-manufacturing capital investment in North America in the past decade at a total value of more than $70 million.

Construction has begun on the campus, which will consolidate Henkel's North America Consumer Brands R&D teams from three separate Connecticut locations into a single site. The facility will span three buildings across more than 10 acres, with more than 110,000 square feet of interior space housing 27 laboratories, three pilot plants, and workspace for more than 200 employees.

The centre will support development across Henkel's consumer brands portfolio — including Persil and all free clear laundry detergents, Snuggle fabric softeners, and Dial soaps — with functional groups covering hair, body, laundry and home care product development, packaging, processing, microbiology, analytical services, product safety, and regulatory affairs.

A newly purchased two-storey building at 9 Trefoil Drive will serve as the campus hub and is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification. The completed campus will also include a cafeteria, EV charging, outdoor workspaces, and modern collaboration zones. Opening is scheduled for the end of 2027.

Phil Schaffer, corporate senior vice president for Henkel Consumer Brands North America, said bringing teams together would enable the company to deliver "transformative solutions that delight consumers and customers and have the potential to shape category trends."

Henkel will retain its North America regional headquarters in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, and its Consumer Brands regional office in Stamford.