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Kenvue is continuing to chart its own course in the Garden State after being spun out from Johnson & Johnson in 2023. Earlier this year it broke ground on a new global headquarters in Summit. Kenvue, which currently resides in Skillman, will employ some 3,000 employees at the new home base, a 290,000-square-foot campus, including a 100,000-square-foot extension for a state-of-the-art Science and Innovation Lab. The company is expected to open the new headquarters in the first quarter of next year – and be fully moved in by 2026.

Kenvue serves some 1.2 billion consumers in 165 countries through iconic products such as Listerine, Band-Aid, Tylenol and Neutrogena. The business is separated into three segments: Self-Care; Skin Health & Beauty; and Essential Health.

“With our world-class brands and scientists under one roof, we are poised to unleash the full potential of Kenvue and lead the way in shaping a new era of consumer health through consumer-led and science-driven innovation,” Kenvue CEO Thibault Mongon said during the spring ribbon cutting. “New Jersey has played an integral role in the success of our iconic brands for more than 135 years, and we are thrilled to strengthen our connection with the state through our new, cutting-edge world headquarters in Summit.”

Mongon said that the company chose Summit because it allowed Kenvue to plant deep roots in a vibrant community while offering broader access to the global community. He cited Kenvue’s New Jersey heritage and more.

“And we see tremendous value in strengthening these connections,” said Mongon. “The second reason is that we wanted to be closer to our consumers, our customers, our partners, our investors. We strongly believe in the power of collaboration, inclusion – and we believe that this will foster the next chapter of growth for us. And finally – talent. We are a people-first company, So, it gives us proximity to a strong pool of highly skilled talent in the scientific and non-scientific fields. We are very excited about that.”

At that event in April, Gov. Phil Murphy said he was thrilled that Kenvue and its iconic brands will continue to call New Jersey home. He committed the state to remain as a partner with the company for decades to come. “You are the unique category killer in consumer health products,” said Murphy. “There’s no company like you in the world – and we wear your presence here in New Jersey forever and always – in this case, it’s Summit – as a badge of honor.

“You could have gone anywhere – and we’re incredibly honored that you picked Summit and stayed in the great State of New Jersey,” said Murphy. “And we think it’s a decision that will pay off for decades to come.”

‘Kenvue is about science’

Kenvue’s chief scientific officer Caroline Tillett told reporters at that groundbreaking about some of the innovative work that will come out of the headquarters. “It’s about all of us working together – all of us collaborating; to be able to bring the scientists and our top talent together with our marketers, our tech teams with the AI technologies we’ve got,” she said, noting that housing all of those capabilities will result in an innovative hub with the ability to advance science. “At the end of the day, Kenvue is about science. It’s at the heart of what we do.”

NJBIZ recently caught up with Tillett to discuss some of the latest developments with Kenvue, its upcoming move, efforts to emphasize the importance that hands-on experience plays in the development of young STEM students, the company’s role in the community and more.

“The building looks amazing,” Tillett told NJBIZ when asked about the construction progress. “I was there two weeks ago – the last steel beam for the Science Center was in. But the main building we will be occupying come February – around quarter one. The second part will be in 2026. Very excited to see such a great development coming together for Kenvue – and for the surrounding area. It’s great for New Jersey with our heritage and our history here – that’s our home.”

From there, the conversation shifted about how 2024 has fared so far.

“At the end of the day, we continue with the work we’re doing in R&D,” she said. “For us in R&D, it continues to be an exciting time. We’re the heart of the Kenvue organization – and science is an incredibly important part of our organization. We earn trust through science – it’s one of our core values for us at Kenvue. And it’s one of these great opportunities that we have right now, our global headquarters being in Summit – to really build on diversity. And really think about how we continue to build a workforce, really putting STEM at the center of everything that we are doing.”

She said that was a huge advantage of the Summit location, because of the diversity of North Jersey and the surrounding areas.

Starting its AI journey

Tillett then discussed the company’s AI efforts and how it is deploying the technology. “AI’s got a great future ahead for everything that we do,” she said. “We’re on a journey like every other company. We’re at the start of that journey of really understanding what role AI is going to play for us. We are deploying in very different areas – testing it, learning from it, but finding ways to build the future. How do we use it to progress science? How do we use it to communicate science?”

She noted that she is a huge supporter of AI and that her team is working extensively to progress the technology. “Because at Kenvue, we believe it’s coming – whether we like it or not,” said Tillett. “Wherever you sit on the fence, AI is part of the future and it’s part of the world that we will be living in. What we are trying to understand is what does that mean to us.”

Collaboration is another key component of Kenvue’s company DNA. Tillett cited a partnership with Liberty Science Center in Jersey City where she serves as a management trustee.

“That’s [LSC] going to be right at the heart of our community once we move to the Summit location. And I think you know with the work they do; the Liberty Science Center matches to our values within Kenvue as well,” Tillett explained. “You’ve got the opportunity there with the work they do in making STEM education available to many who don’t get the same privileges as some of us are lucky to have. And that’s part of the journey we are on – how do we continue to build and create an environment which really builds STEM education for all?”

Tillett stressed that hands-on experience in science is crucial. “Every progression, everything we do is driven through a lot of the science and the technology journeys we have. We engage in different ways,” she said, reiterating the work with LSC as well as initiatives the New Jersey Scholars, the Boys & Girls Club and more.

Tillett recounted a visit from the New Jersey Scholars. “They spend time going around the labs, talking to the scientists, learning the application of science,” she explained. “Showing them how will they learn through an educational program is then applied into everyday products and everyday care – in a way they probably don’t think about.

“We also do a lot of work through internships. We have a program called COUNT [Consumer University Talent],” she added. COUNT recruits diversely talented and highly motivated students for short-term, hands-on technical projects that are now solely data entry. The initiative aims to build the Kenvue R&D entry-level talent pipeline while providing these individuals with more of a hands-on experience.

As the conversation wound down, Tillett described the feeling around the company as it continues to hit milestones, evolve and gear up for the move to Summit.

“I couldn’t be more excited,” she said. “I moved here 19 years ago, and the State of New Jersey is my home. It has been now for a number of years. Kenvue has this amazing mission – and I repeat it regularly. We want to realize the extraordinary power of everyday care. We truly want to have an impact. And in the next step of our journey, to have the ability to bring our amazing brands to more consumers – to have more impact.

“And know when they touch our brand – that they are touching brands that they can trust. And that’s the heart of who we are at Kenvue.”