April 30 (Reuters) - Haleon, the world's largest standalone consumer healthcare firm, will shut its UK production site which makes Sensodyne toothpastes by 2026, leading to 435 job losses, a spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The company, also home to brands like Advil painkillers and Centrum vitamins, has been focused on reducing its debt after being spun-off from drugmaker GSK in 2022.
It announced a cost-cutting programme in March 2023, aimed at saving 300 million pounds ($376 million) over three years and offloaded brands like Lamisil for fungal nail infections and Chapstick for sore lips.
"Following a strategic review of our global manufacturing capabilities, we have determined that our Maidenhead site is no longer a viable option for the manufacture of our products," the spokesperson said, adding that affected employees had already been notified.
The Maidenhead site in southern England produces the FTSE 100 group's popular oral health products such as Sensodyne toothpaste and Parodontax mouthwash. Oral health accounts for about a third of Haleon's total sales.
The making of toothpastes will be transferred to Haleon's hub in Levice, Slovakia, while mouthwash production will move to a third party contract manufacturer, with details to be announced.
The phased closure of the Maidenhead site is currently expected by the second quarter of 2026, part of Haleon's efforts to become a more "agile" organisation while also growing its supply chain, the spokesperson said.
"Haleon continues to have a substantial presence in the UK as a UK-listed company. We are investing over 130 million pounds in a new state of the art, globally significant, oral health R&D facility in Weybridge," the spokesperson added, referring to the company's base west of London.
Haleon, which employees about 24,000 people worldwide, is due to report first-quarter results on Wednesday.
Its shares were up 2% on Tuesday, among top gainers on London's blue-chip index.
Haleon (HLN)
Glaxosmithkline (GSK)
