Clorox to add 158 new jobs in Durham after getting incentives from North Carolina
Consumer goods giant Clorox plans to add 158 new jobs in Durham, after the state of North Carolina agreed to give the company an incentive package worth up to $2.2 million.
The incentives were approved by the state’s Economic Investment Committee on Tuesday morning. The agreement will move Clorox’s Better Health VMS business from Florida to Durham.
Better Health VMS operates under the name RenewLife and makes probiotics and other health supplements. It was bought by Clorox in 2016.
Clorox is one of the most widely known companies in the U.S., making brands like Pine-Sol cleaning products, Glad trash bags and Clorox disinfectant wipes. The California-based company has more than 8,000 employees worldwide and had sales of $6.7 billion in its most recent fiscal year.
It also has history in Durham. In 2007, the company bought Burt’s Bees, the maker of lip balm and other personal-care items.
Burt’s Bees has maintained its headquarters in downtown Durham since it left Maine in 1999 to take an incentive package from North Carolina.
The addition of Better Health VMS includes an expansion of Clorox’s existing facilities in Durham as well as the creation of a new research and development facility, the state’s Commerce Department said.
In a statement, Matt Gregory, Burt’s Bees general manager of health and beauty, said the company was interested in expanding its operations in the Triangle because of the area’s ability to retain talented workers.
“The Triangle has demonstrated a proven track record of attracting, retaining and developing top talent,” Gregory said, “talent which will continue to help Clorox wellness brands drive good, sustainable growth and champion people to be well and thrive every single day.”
John Replogle, the former CEO of Burt’s Bees who runs a local venture capital firm, said the expansion also provides momentum for the Triangle’s growing consumer goods sector.
Replogle’s venture capital firm, One Better Ventures, invests in many local consumer goods startups.
“We have a small but emerging hub of [consumer packaged goods] talent, and this move can only help draw further talent and capital to the triangle,” Replogle said in an email.
He added that it will likely “cement” the Triangle as Clorox’s hub for health-focused brands over the long term.
According to Commerce, Durham was competing with Atlanta for the jobs expansion.
Clorox plans to add the new jobs in Durham over the next two years. Under the provisions of the agreement, the company must also retain its 429 existing jobs in the state.
The average wage of the new jobs would be $123,310, Commerce said.
As part of the deal, Durham County will be asked to chip in $50,000 in incentives, and the City of Durham will be asked to provide $75,000.
This story was produced with financial support from a coalition of partners led by Innovate Raleigh as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. Learn more; go to bit.ly/newsinnovate
This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 11:50 AM with the headline "Clorox to add 158 new jobs in Durham after getting incentives from North Carolina."
