Bangkok--24 May--Aziam Burson-Marsteller (ABM)
Kimberly-Clark Professional (KCP), one of the core business units under the Kimberly-Clark Thailand umbrella, is celebrating its success in achieving the highest sales growth of any operation within Kimberly-Clark Professional Asia in 2006. Given the increasing size of the workplace segment versus the slowdown in the consumer market, KCP Thailand has launched the innovative WYPALL* L40 Wipers and WYPALL* X60 Wipers, two new wipers that feature Kimberly-Clark’s proprietary technologies. Their
key selling points are enhancing efficiency and reducing costs for industrial sites. KCP also introduced 10 additional new products supported by various marketing activities in order to broaden its B2B customer base with an annual growth target of 30%.
KCP is responsible for distributing washroom and workplace products to institutional customers. Currently, KCP is the leader in the 3-billion baht washroom segment with a 50% market share.
Ms. Arpa Phusangmook, Director and General Manager, Kimberly-Clark Professional, Kimberly-Clark Thailand Ltd., commenting on recent institutional consumer insights, said, “Industrial operators today are making operating efficiency their first priority. This has encouraged any businesses to focus on production cost management starting with basic items such as wiping and cleaning supplies. More than 95% of industrial sites surveyed use cloth rags for general cleaning tasks. We have seen a steadily increasing demand for wipers from institutional customers who have realized the benefits of using these products instead of traditional fabric rags for industrial cleaning tasks, as they increase efficiency and reduce production costs. This trend is a good sign for Kimberly-Clark Professional, which will continue to increase our presence in the workplace segment this year with the launch of 12 new products. Among the new products unveiled today are wipers including WYPALL* L40 Wipers and WYPALL*X 60 Wipers, which will be flagship products for driving sales.
“In 2006, Kimberly-Clark Professional in Thailand was the most active player among Kimberly-Clark Professional operations in Asia with sales growth of 15%. Of this, workplace products, particularly wipers, recorded the highest growth at 30%,” added Arpa.
KCP Thailand has increased its wiper production capacity for KIMTECH SCIENCE* KIMWIPES* Wipers, KIMTECH PREP* EPIC* Wipers and WYPALL* L15 Wipers at its Samutprakarn facility, which saw the addition of 150 new jobs. These products are for domestic sales and export to Australia.
“Kimberly-Clark is a pioneer in the workplace market and our main strategy now is to change the habit of institutional customers from using cloth rags to high-quality wipers. While cloth rags are inexpensive, they incur several hidden costs. We believe that wipers provide an efficient cleaning
solution for industrial facilities and are more economical than fabric rags. Sales of wipers are expected to increase 30% by the end of this year,” concluded Arpa.
WYPALL* L40 Wipers with proprietary AIRFLEX* Fabric technology have the ability to absorb over two times more water and 37% more oil compared to competitive conventional wipers (according to test results from the laboratory). The wipers are also stronger when wet, which enables them to
absorb large liquid spills without falling apart or becoming soggy.
WYPALL* L40 Wipers are suitable for routine industrial cleaning & maintenance. They are available in a jumbo roll size.
WYPALL*X60 Wipers with proprietary HYDROKNIT* Fast Absorbing Material is the most advanced wiping material. It is manufactured using jets of water to bond soft absorbent paper fibers with extra strong polypropylene non-woven fabric. The paper component allows WYPALL*X60 Wipers to absorb
water quickly and effectively while the tear-resistant polypropylene fabric soaks up oil and grease. With the integration of these elements, WYPALL*X60 is a durable and fast-absorbing wiper, strong enough to handle tough cleaning tasks and absorbent enough to wipe up liquids fast.
WYPALL*X60 wipers are suitable for cleaning dirty stains including removal of lubricants, adhesives and other liquids, personal and equipment wiping in a healthcare environment, and general cleaning in the food industry.
They are available in both small roll and quarter-fold sizes.
Kimberly-Clark professional’s new product line for 2007 comprises 12 product items in two groups, which are: 1) Wipers including WYPALL* X60 Wipers in roll and fold formats, WYPALL* L40 Wipers, WYPALL* L20 Standard Wipers, WYPALL* L15 Wipers, KIMTECH PREP* KIMTEX* Wipers, KIMTECH PREP* EPIC* Wipers, KIMTECH SCIENCE* KIMWIPES* Wipers; and 2) Industrial gloves including KLEENGUARD* G40 Latex Coated Gloves, KLEENGUARD* G60 PURPLE NITRILE* Cut Resistant Gloves, KLEENGUARD* G80 PURPLE NITRILE* Chemical Resistant Gloves and KLEENGUARD* G80 Neoprene/Latex Chemical Resistant Gloves.
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