PartyLite is bringing it all home—its manufacturing operations that is. The candles and home décor division of Blyth Inc. recently announced that it is creating a Global Center of Excellence in Batavia, Illinois, where the company currently houses one of its two facilities for the manufacturing and development of its candles. The second facility in Cumbria, United Kingdom, will be shut down as a result.
After a comprehensive evaluation of the two sets of operations, the company concluded that having one worldwide facility would provide a central location where it can best concentrate its expertise on candle-making innovation, research and development.
“The Global Center of Excellence in Batavia will represent a significant investment in a state-of-the-art, global manufacturing complex with advanced process control systems and unrivaled quality and service levels,” Robert B. Goergen Jr., CEO of Blyth and President of PartyLite Worldwide, said in the company’s release.
The project will launch early this year with management expecting financial results to include total annualized savings of $8.0 million, or $40.0 million over the next five years, and one-time and transitional costs of approximately $6.0 million and a $2.0 million asset write-down in Cumbria.
PartyLite continues to expand the reach of its products as acceptance of direct selling grows in other regions of the world along with popularity of its candles and accessories. The company recently made products available in both Turkey and Korea, expanding its total worldwide markets to 23.