Earth Breeze To Locate $5.9 Million Facility In Harrodsburg, Provide 226 New Jobs
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Robert Moore
Herald Staff
[email protected]
Earth Breeze, a producer of environmentally friendly laundry detergent sheets, is locating a facility in Harrodsburg. The facility is valued at roughly $5.9 million and will create 226 jobs.
Gov. Andy Beshear made the announcement earlier today.
“We’re excited to welcome Earth Breeze to our New Kentucky Home,” Gov. Beshear said in a press release. “This project will create quality jobs and opportunities for the Harrodsburg community, and I we can’t wait to see this innovative company succeed.”
The new 81,250-square-foot facility will handle multiple aspects of the Earth Breeze production process, including the blending of its proprietary eco-friendly formulation, drying and processing, cutting and packaging, order fulfillment operations, quality control laboratory testing and research and development. The 226 new positions will span various skill levels and departments, from facility director and production operators to quality control specialists and planning/administrative associates and managers, according to the state.
“We are incredibly grateful to the state of Kentucky for their outstanding support and partnership throughout this journey,” said Ben Smith, Chief Operating Officer of Earth Breeze, in a press release. “From the very beginning, the state has demonstrated a clear commitment to fostering growth and innovation, helping us navigate every step with care and efficiency. Kentucky’s strong workforce, business-friendly environment and collaborative spirit have made it the perfect home for Earth Breeze. This investment is not just about expanding our operations—it’s about building a sustainable future together with the Harrodsburg community. We are excited to bring new opportunities, create quality jobs and be part of Kentucky’s continued economic success.”
Earth Breeze was founded in 2019, according to a state press release. The company offers clean laundry without harsh chemicals like optical brighteners, artificial dyes, parabens, phthalates or preservatives. Made with 100 percent concentrated cleaning ingredients in a sheet that quickly dissolves, Earth Breeze is available at many leading retailer locations and online at earthbreeze.com.
For every order, Earth Breeze donates laundry detergent to shelters and disaster relief organizations. The company has partnered with more than 800 shelters, community organizations and disaster relief groups to provide more than 300 million loads of detergent to those in need. Across the U.S. and around the world, Earth Breeze has also sponsored the cleanup of over 999,000 pounds of plastic.
Local leaders also expressed support for the development.
“We are thrilled to welcome a new company to our community and excited for the new job opportunities this brings to Mercer County,” said Mercer County Judge-Executive Sarah Steele in a press release. “We are looking forward to this partnership.”
The property is located on Morgan Soaper Drive in Harrodsburg and was developed by Hilpp’s Mercer County TM Properties LLC.
“We are pleased and delighted to have Earth Breeze locating their manufacturing facility in Harrodsburg,” said Harrodsburg Mayor Bob Williams. “The product, the leadership and the potential employment are all extraordinary factors in welcoming them to our community. Freddie Hilpp has been a tremendous asset in this endeavor as well, and we thank him for his efforts.”
The Harrodsburg-Mercer County Industrial Development Authority, also issued a statement.
“HMCIDA, on behalf of our entire community, is thrilled by Earth Breeze’s decision to locate and do business in our community,” said Greyson Evans, executive-director of the HMCIDA. “For several years now, Harrodsburg and Mercer County have made a concerted push for job growth and to tell the world we’re open for business. Partnership from an environmentally friendly American manufacturer that complements our existing business landscape so well is a blessing—we’re very excited to engage with Earth Breeze and support them in their effort to prosper in Kentucky.”
Earth Breeze’s investment builds on what state officials are calling best five-year period for economic growth in Kentucky history.
To encourage investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority has preliminarily approved a 10-year incentive agreement with Earth Breeze under the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based agreement can provide up to $2.4 million in tax incentives based on the company’s investment of $5.89 million and annual targets of:
• Creation and maintenance of 226 Kentucky-resident, full-time jobs across 10 years.
• Paying an average hourly wage of $30.96, including benefits, across those jobs.
By meeting its annual targets over the agreement term, the company can be eligible to keep a portion of the new tax revenue it generates, according to the state. The company may claim eligible incentives against its income tax liability and wage assessments.
According to the state, Earth Breeze may also receive resources from Kentucky’s workforce service providers. Those include no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job-training incentives.
In addition to their namesake laundry sheets, Earth Breeze also manufactures Power Pebbles Dishwasher Tablets and Fresh Tabs Washing Machine Cleaner Tablet, among other items. For more information, visit EarthBreeze.com.
Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at CED.ky.gov.
