Mucinex maker localizes its supply chain

Reckitt, the maker of Mucinex, Air Wick and Lysol, is localizing its supply chain, SVP of supply for North America Philip Hampden-Smith told Supply Chain Dive in an interview.

When COVID-19 struck, the company reconsidered its approach on supply to be more consumer centric, Hampden-Smith said.

For example, a U.S.-based facility offers quicker reaction time to changing consumer needs, versus a traditional supply chain that imports products from overseas.

Reckitt is also focused on resiliency.

“Resilience is such a key factor, given all the variables that are in play these days, whether it’s geopolitics, whether it’s material challenges, regulatory environments, etc, but in a nutshell, I’m really looking to do is ensure that I build a future state, a supply network that can sustainably outperform,” he said.

Establishing a U.S. flagship facility

Last year, Reckitt acquired a manufacturing site in Wilson, North Carolina, as part of its resiliency strategy. T…