Featured image (from left): Governor Asa Hutchinson, Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston, Rep. Rick Crawford, Lifeplus international owner Robert Christian, Mayor Rick Elumbaugh, Arkansas Attorney General and Lt. Governor-elect Leslie Rutledge, and Lifeplus General Counsel Scott Lancaster at today’s Lifeplus International expansion groundbreaking in Batesville.
Lifeplus International, a world leader in holistic well-being products, today broke ground on the first of four new buildings at their flagship manufacturing facility in Batesville, where they plan to invest $24 million and create 150 jobs within five years.
The company currently has its corporate headquarters and a facility in Batesville where they employ a combined 250 people who develop high-quality nutritional supplements for customers throughout the world. Another 350 Lifeplus employees work in Europe.
“Lifeplus is looking forward to this next chapter in the growth and expansion of our company,” Lifeplus owner Robert Christian said. “We’re excited about the good paying jobs this expansion will create here in our community and about the increased production capability and resulting market share that it will give us both here in the U.S. and worldwide.”
This will be the first of four new buildings for Lifeplus that will not only increase the company’s footprint in Batesville to about 250,000 square feet but will also double the company’s local workforce.
“It’s always a great day when we get to celebrate our homegrown companies,” said Governor Asa Hutchinson. “Lifeplus has been a great community partner in Batesville. I am confident that this expansion will take Lifeplus to new heights, and before long, they will be a household name not just overseas, but also throughout Arkansas. This is just another example of how Arkansas has the tools in place to help businesses grow and succeed in the global economy.”
Created more than 30 years ago, Lifeplus manufactures and distributes more than 140 dietary supplements and nutritional products at the Batesville facility. Lifeplus takes raw ingredients and mixes them into formulations for powders, tablets, and capsules under strict quality control management to assure purity, potency, and correct dosage. The products are then boxed for shipment, most of which head to facilities in Great Britain and the Netherlands for distribution to numerous countries throughout Europe.
“The expansion at Lifeplus proves that the First District of Arkansas continues to be a place where industry is encouraged and successful,” Representative Rick Crawford said. “The investment and creation of jobs will boost the economy in Independence County, and I am excited to see what the future holds for Lifeplus and their impact in and beyond the First District.”
“A diverse economy is a healthy economy,” said Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston. “Lifeplus has found a unique niche in the nutritional supplement industry which has brought more jobs and investment to Independence County. We want to do everything we can to help our local companies reach their full potential, and we are excited to see what’s in store for Lifeplus in the coming years as they undergo the first phase of their expansion plans.”
Most Lifeplus customers are in Europe, but this expansion will provide a greater opportunity for the company to significantly grow its footprint in North America. Through this expansion, Lifeplus will now be able to also manufacture many of its existing products as gummies, which have grown in popularity, as well as make gummies for third parties. Lifeplus will also now be able to manufacture a number of its nutritional products in other forms, such as soft gels, that are not currently manufactured in-house.
In addition to building a new facility, Lifeplus is purchasing an existing 28,000-square-foot building on Harrison Street for additional manufacturing space.
“We are excited to share in the celebration with Lifeplus on the announcement of the major manufacturing facilities expansion in Batesville,” Mayor Rick Elumbaugh said. “My administration continues to focus on job growth through infrastructure improvements and quality of life enhancements to retain our existing workforce and attract the workforce needed to support our continued growth in manufacturing. Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce CEO, Crystal Johnson, leading the City of Batesville Economic Development Program, worked closely with Arkansas Economic Development Commission, White River Planning and Development District, and other partners to bring this project to fruition. This expansion announcement is a great of example of authentic community collaboration and partnerships. We look forward to the continued success of Lifeplus in Batesville, Arkansas.”
For more information about Lifeplus, as well as to access the company’s online shop, visit www.Lifeplus.com.
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