Blue Power Group, long recognised as one of Jamaica’s most reliable bar-soap manufacturers, is preparing to widen its footprint with a slate of new products.

The company, which has produced 20 million bars of soap so far in 2025, is now advancing plans to enter new home- and personal-care categories, signalling its most significant expansion in more than a decade.

General Manager Vishwanauth Tolan told shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting on Monday that Blue Power is reshaping its product pipeline to meet evolving consumer demand. After nearly 25 years centred on bar soap manufacturing — including its well-known cake soap — the company plans to introduce “practical innovations” and expand into liquid formats, backed by expanded and upgraded manufacturing capability.

“We’ve taken the time to understand in greater detail the space we’re playing in, and within the buy-sell segment, while we’ve already impacted many areas and many of the customers we serve, there are still numerous untapped segments that we believe are growth spaces and, if done well, can deliver positive incremental growth. So as we head into next year, you can look out on the shelf for new products — practical innovations coming out under the Blue Power brand,” Tolan told shareholders.

The move aligns with a broader strategy to reposition the Blue Power brand, refresh its market presence, and deepen engagement with consumers who increasingly expect diversity and convenience in home-care goods.

Blue Power currently manufactures a mix of its own brands and private-label soaps for major distributors, ranging from its flagship blue power laundry soap to carbolic and other bath and laundry products. Its newest innovation — powdered blue, which is a reformulated version of Blue Power’s traditional blue laundry soap in powdered form — reflects the company’s effort to modernise long-standing products and respond to changing consumer preferences, particularly the shift towards washing machines. Management described the product as part of a wider push to enter higher-margin segments and reduce the company’s reliance on traditional bar-soap manufacturing.

Blue Power has moved to secure its long-term expansion options with the purchase of 3 Victoria Avenue, a two-acre property located directly across from its existing headquarters. The area has quickly become one of Kingston’s fastest-growing commercial corridors, with major developments underway — including PriceSmart’s planned South Camp Road store and a high-rise redevelopment on the former Palace cinema site.

The newly acquired property already contains a substantial building.

Chairman Jeffrey Hall clarified that the rendering shown at the AGM represents a redevelopment concept for that existing structure, which would become the first of three buildings planned for the site. The additional structures would be new builds, giving the company the ability to transform the location into a multi-use commercial and operational complex over time.

He noted that while the company has not finalised a fixed development timeline, the acquisition provides valuable flexibility. The space can support both manufacturing expansion and activities tied to the company’s move into higher-margin categories, including beauty and medicated products. In the immediate term, the site will be used in ways that complement the existing facility and support new product development.

“We believe very strongly that we got a very attractive price for the property, and it presents expansion opportunities for us,” he said.

Further, to drive this next phase, Blue Power appointed Tara Goulbourne as chief commercial officer, effective October 13, 2025. Goulbourne brings more than a decade of experience in product innovation and brand development across manufacturing, insurance, and consumer goods. Her track record includes revitalising JP St Mary’s and strengthening Tortuga Caribbean Rum Cakes’ market reach — expertise the company hopes will accelerate its shift into new categories.

The push into new products follows a challenging financial year triggered by the 40 per cent CET imposed on saponified noodles, Blue Power’s main input. The duty significantly lifted production costs, contributing to a 20 per cent decline in profit before tax to $164.4 million, even as revenues climbed 13 per cent to $963.5 million.

Rather than pass the full cost burden to consumers, management said it opted to tighten expenses, strengthen its product mix, and protect volumes. Export sales rose 73 per cent, reflecting steady demand in overseas markets despite cost pressures.

Hall acknowledged the margin squeeze, but said the company is leaning more heavily on new product development, marketing, and customer partnerships to drive volumes and stabilise earnings.