Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear highlighted continued job growth in Kentucky as Earth Breeze, a producer of environmentally friendly laundry detergent sheets, announced plans to locate a roughly $5.9 million facility in Harrodsburg, creating 226 Kentucky jobs.
“We’re excited to welcome Earth Breeze to our New Kentucky Home,” said Gov. Beshear. “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.
“We are incredibly grateful to the state of Kentucky for their outstanding support and partnership throughout this journey,” said Ben Smith, COO of Earth Breeze. “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, founded in 2019, offers clean laundry without harsh chemicals like optical brighteners, artificial dyes, parabens, phthalates or preservatives. Made with 100% concentrated cleaning ingredients in a sheet that quickly dissolves, Earth Breeze is available at many leading retailer locations and 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.
Mercer County Judge/Executive Sarah Steele showed support for the project: “We are thrilled to welcome a new company to our community and excited for the new job opportunities this brings to Mercer County. We are looking forward to this partnership.”
Harrodsburg Mayor Bob Williams thanked the parties who made the project possible: “We are pleased and delighted to have Earth Breeze locating their manufacturing facility in Harrodsburg. 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.”
Greyson Evans, on behalf of the Harrodsburg-Mercer County Industrial Development Authority, mentioned the effort the community has put into economic development: “HMCIDA, on behalf of our entire community, is thrilled by Earth Breeze’s decision to locate and do business in our community. 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!”