Watsons, a subsidiary of Changjiang Hutchison Industrial Co. under Li Ka-shing—China’s richest entrepreneur—has built a new high-tech beverage factory in Sanshui, Foshan, Guangdong Province. The facility introduced a KHS canning production line capable of producing 72,000 cans per hour, equipped with bottle conveyor systems, case conveyor systems, and pallet conveyor systems.
The new Watsons beverage manufacturing plant is located in the Foshan Water Beverage Food Industrial Park (South Garden, Baini Town), covering a land area of 80,000 m² with a total investment of more than 140.4 million USD. Its main products include packaged drinking water, soda water, tea, and juice drinks, making it the company’s new South China headquarters.
The factory’s design philosophy centers on “gratitude for the source of benefit,” while integrating smart and green manufacturing principles throughout the production process. The project comprehensively applies intelligent automation and sustainability concepts to achieve energy efficiency and production flexibility.
The project successfully passed joint acceptance on July 13, 2024, and trial production is expected to begin in September this year. Once fully operational, the factory will have an annual output value of approximately 140.4 million USD and generate about 16.9 million USD in annual taxes.
Watsons is part of Changjiang Hutchison Industrial Co., Ltd., controlled by Li Ka-shing’s CK Hutchison Holdings. In 1981, Li Ka-shing acquired the Watsons brand from the British and began a path of global expansion. Today, the Watsons Group operates across multiple sectors, maintaining a leading position in health and beauty retail.
Watsons has become one of the world’s largest international health and beauty retailers, with business operations covering retail, e-commerce, and related consumer services. The brand’s broad portfolio and market coverage reflect its continuous pursuit of innovation, sustainability, and advanced production technologies—such as the adoption of automated pallet conveyor systems—to support high-speed, hygienic, and energy-efficient beverage production.
