Alberto-Culver Co., the personal care products manufacturer, announced plans to build a 500,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Jonesboro, Ark., at a cost of about $60 million.
The new facility will employ 400 people and house production, warehouse and office space. Construction will start in early 2007, with production expected to begin in early 2008.
According to Richard Mewborn, vice president of Worldwide Operations for Alberto-Culver, the company is currently running close to capacity in its North American manufacturing operations, and the Jonesboro plant will support Alberto-Culver's growth strategy and provide additional production capabilities.
Recently, Alberto-Culver disclosed plans to shutdown a manufacturing facility in Dallas during 2007. Mewborn anticipates that most of that plant's production would eventually be shifted to the Jonesboro facility.
Jonesboro was chosen from a group of 10 sites considered by Alberto-Culver due to its strong current manufacturing base, a solid infrastructure of support and supply services, and the availability of a skilled workforce, Mewborn said.