Vitacost has decided to double its operations in Davidson County, NC. The company, based in Boca Raton, FL said it would add between 228 and 300 jobs over five years as it expands by 115,000 square feet at its complex in Lexington, according to a report in the Winston-Salem Journal .
Vitacost is a manufacturer, distributor and online retailer of vitamins, and herbal and other health-supplements. Along with distributing such brand-name products as New Chapter, Atkins, Twinlab and Kashi, it makes and sells products under the Nutraceutical Sciences Institute, Cosmeceutical Sciences Institute, Smart Basics and Best of All brands. The company currently has 285 full-time and temporary employees at its 112,000-square-foot operation.
Ira Kerker, Vitacost CEO, told the Journal the company will spend about $6.7 million on the infrastructure expansion, which it plans to complete by year’s end. He said that the company plans to add the bulk of jobs in its call-center, distribution, manufacturing and research-and-development units within two years.
If it meets performance goals, Vitacost can collect $225,000 each from the city of Lexington and the county. It also will receive a $450,000 grant from the governor’s One North Carolina Fund—the sixth largest provided in the Triad since the program began in March 2001.
“They hired more people than they said they would and made a bigger investment than they said they would,” said Steve Googe, the director of the Davidson County Economic Development Commission. “That’s the kind of performance that wins confidence.”
Kerker said that Vitacost looked at options in Charlotte, South Carolina and Virginia as part of its goal of adding distribution space “within a three ship zone” for the major ground shippers. The average salary for the new jobs will be more than $30,000 a year, plus benefits.
