Ground broken for 1.3M square-foot distribution center

OLIVE BRANCH — Gov. Phil Bryant was among those on hand to celebrate a new business for the Olive Branch area.

Bryant attended a ceremony yesterday marking the pending construction of a distribution center for Helen of Troy, a health and personal care product manufacturer.

Helen of Troy expects its new 1.3-million-square-foot facility to be operational in September. Construction is expected to begin soon in a corridor that is booming with new business investment.

Company officials expected to hold the groundbreaking ceremony at the cleared-off 84-acre site. But high wind and rain prompted them to move the ceremony indoors to a nearby hotel conference center.

Bryant said he was not about to let the weather stop him from attending.

“I wouldn’t have missed this for anything,” said Bryant, who flew to Olive Branch. “If I was going to have to walk, I was going to get here.”

To secure Helen of Troy’s new investment in Olive Branch, the state, county and city provided incentives, including tax exemptions and infrastructure improvements. The Commercial Appeal reports Helen of Troy will be making a $37-million investment, and the state will be making a $2.5-million investment in the project.

El Paso, Texas-based Helen of Troy says the new center will create 300 new full-time jobs.