SCA Tissue plans for a new engineering/design center in Philadelphia that will help drive innovation in its dispenser systems and keep the company on the cutting edge of the industry.
Fred Albrecht, SCA Tissue North America vice president, continuous improvement, executed a lease for the new SCA Dispenser Innovation Center, which will occupy the first floor of the Science Center Building at 3615 Market St., Philadelphia. After a short period of retrofitting the space the Dispenser Innovation Center is projected to be operational in January 2009. In keeping with being the industry leader in sustainable environmental practices, the space will also be LEED certified.
“This investment of resources shows SCA’s serious commitment to fulfilling the Tork brand promise by bringing more innovative solutions to market,” says Don Lewis, president of SCA Tissue North America. “We have invested and brought to market innovative solutions in the past; this consolidation of resources and the magnitude of investment being made reflects our desire to lead innovation aligned to our customer’s needs.” Lewis says.
“The new center will provide space for the engineering and project development work for our Tork dispenser systems,” says Albrecht. “Everything from ideation to creating and testing prototypes to ongoing evaluation of products with an eye toward continual improvement will take place there. The dispenser team will create new dispenser concepts and will also operate the machinery to build prototypes. This center will bring a hands-on engineering component to the design process. Space is also available for product testing and product training in realistic environments that simulate washrooms and foodservice prep areas.”
While the Dispenser Innovation Center space is being leased by SCA Tissue North America, operations will be conducted under the auspices of the Global Hygiene Category of parent company SCA.
Peter Zajaczkowski, director of dispenser systems, global hygiene category, will manage the center. He will report to John Drengler, director, global hygiene away from home category.
The center is located just seven blocks from the corporate headquarters of SCA Americas and SCA Tissue North America in the Cira Center. The proximity will foster the easy flow of ideas between center staff and the people who oversee product management such as the category directors.
Zajaczkowski also manages a dispenser development staff in Gothenberg, Sweden. “The result will be two facilities and two staffs working in a collaborative manner on the global portfolio of SCA’s dispensing systems,” Drengler says.
“Our global hygiene category is tasked with accelerating the growth of the Away From Home business,” he says. “The biggest driver of that business is the Tork brand, and the best manifestation of the Tork brand–the best tools to bring it to market–are our dispenser systems. Dispenser systems are a top priority for us.”
