ST. LOUIS — Henkel Corp. plans a $40 million investment in its North Riverfront factory and estimates it will add about 16 jobs to its 203-person workforce.
The factory at 6901 McKissock Avenue, formerly part of Dial Corp. before Germany’s Henkel acquired the soap maker in 2004, makes products including Persil and Purex laundry detergent. Henkel plans to invest $26 million in equipment and $14 million in the plant. Henkel is asking the city for 50% tax abatement for 10 years on both the equipment and plant investments.
Wages for the new jobs are expected to average $74,150 a year, according to a city report. Most employees at the plant are represented by the Teamsters union, plant manager Joe Campbell told city development officials Tuesday.
The expansion and abatement will help “cement our facility and our operations” in St. Louis, Brian Heindl of Henkel said.
In 2012, the plant inked an agreement with the city to invest $55 million in exchange for a decade of 100% property tax abatement. Henkel put $11 million more into the facility in 2014.
Also Tuesday, the city’s Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority approved incentives for an $8.5 million, 42-unit apartment building planned on a vacant lot at 2800 South Jefferson Avenue owned by the city’s land bank. The Benton Park project is being proposed by the Flyover Fund, which includes Andrew Sandler and Kyle Howerton. The city is being asked to approve a 10-year incentive package equal to about 75% property tax abatement. It would set minimum property taxes at $572 per unit and limit annual property tax increases to 2%.
