HEALTHCARE SPECIALIST the Mentholatum Company is investing £10 million in its European headquarters in Lanarkshire.

The investment will increase production capacity at the East Kilbride plant owned by the Japanese company, which makes non-prescription pain relief and personal care products, including the acne treatment Oxy.

GLOBAL healthcare specialist The Mentholatum Company, manufacturer of non-prescription pain relief and personal care brands including acne treatment Oxy, is ploughing £10 million into its European headquarters at East Kilbride to provide increased production capacity.

The investment will also enable the Japanese-owned company to further develop its research and development facilities at its base at Peel Park Campus. Andrew Tasker, managing director and vice-president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said that
Mentholatum's plans signalled a long-term commitment to East Kilbride.

"Our investment in East Kilbride and Scotland is part of Mentholatum's long-term strategy and reinforces our commitment to the creation of world-class healthcare solutions," he said.

"We will bring more jobs to the area, provide stimulation for the local economy and also benefit a wide range of local businesses and organisations."

Established in the UK in 1924, Mentholatum employs almost 80 people. Its products are sold all over the world, including Iceland, Croatia, South Africa and Russia.

The UK accounts for about 50% of all Mentholatum's sales. One of its best-known brands is the pain relief treatment Deep Heat, which marks its 50th anniversary in 2008 and is now a brand leader in the topical analgesics market.The company, however, sees new product development as key to future global growth. By creating a state-of-the-art R&D centre at East Kilbride, Mentholatum aims to cement its position as a market leader in the eye, lip and personal care categories and grow its presence in the skincare market on the back of its acquisition of the high-profile Oxy brand in 2004.

Tasker, who joined Mentholatum last year from pharmaceutical firm Pfizer, is also keen to build close relationships with the East Kilbride community and support local projects. "When I first arrived here very few people in the local community had heard of The Mentholatum Company and even fewer were aware that our European headquarters are based in East Kilbride," he said.

"This investment places East Kilbride firmly on the map in terms of growth, productivity and long-term commitment." Last week, Tasker and finance director Douglas Smart met Mentholatum president and CEO Akiyoshi Yoshida and international president Francis Chan in Scotland to discuss the progress of the expansion programme.