L’Oréal USA to add 45 jobs with $12 million expansion of North Little Rock plant

New York City-based L’Oréal USA announced Wednesday (May 26) it will invest more than $12 million to expand its North Little Rock plant. The move is estimated to add 45 jobs to the 350 jobs at the plant.

“We are thrilled that L’Oréal USA has made this strategic investment in our future here in North Little Rock as we continue our plant’s evolution toward becoming the global Color Cosmetics Center of Excellence within the L’Oréal Group,” Eric Fox, vice president of operations and plant manager for L’Oréal USA’s NLR facility, noted in a statement. “We are also grateful to the state of Arkansas for continuously demonstrating its commitment to business partnership and growing manufacturing jobs in our state.”

L’Oréal USA has operated in North Little Rock for almost half a century where it makes cosmetics for Maybelline New York, L’Oréal Paris, essie, Lancôme, Urban Decay, IT Cosmetics, NYX Professional Makeup and Dermablend. The company said more than 250 million units of mascara, eye shadow, face powder, lip gloss and nail color leave North Little Rock to be sold in retail locations throughout the U.S. and abroad, making it the largest color cosmetics factory worldwide in the Clichy, France-based L’Oréal Group.

The expansion will allow L’Oréal USA to renovate its facility to bring additional production to the factory in support of all its brands. The company reported April 15 that first quarter sales for the global company rose 10.2%, with North American segment e-commerce sales accounting for 20% of segment revenue.

“The strongest recovery was in makeup, driven by powerful innovations and increased socialisation. March was a turning point for the Consumer Products Division, which gained market share thanks to makeup, with the rebound driven by the recovery of NYX Professional Makeup and successful innovations such as Sky High Mascara by Maybelline New York and Infallible Powder by L’Oréal Paris,” the company noted in its quarterly report.

“I have visited with L’Oréal leadership on my economic trips to Europe, and I know that they are committed to investing in North Little Rock and our state,” said Gov. Asa Hutchinson. “L’Oréal has a long history of doing business in Arkansas and they know that our workforce and business climate are second to none.”