Melaleuca Inc. expands operations in southwest Idaho

Melaleuca Inc. is planning to break ground next spring on a $30 million project south of town to eventually centralize its manufacturing, warehousing and office operations.

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The company had first planned to build a new warehousing facility inside city limits, but company President Frank VanderSloot said Melaleuca would outgrow the building too quickly.

He said company growth projections indicated the planned facility would only support its operations for 11 or 12 years, not the 25 years they had forecast.

Company officials started looking for a larger piece of ground and sought one in Bonneville County where Melaleuca could avoid paying $300,000 a year in city taxes.

He estimated the project will take five or six years to finish. The first push will be to build new warehouse space.

Melaleuca currently has 100,000 square feet of warehouse space throughout Idaho Falls and Bonneville County. After the distribution center is constructed, Melaleuca will move its manufacturing operations and eventually its offices to the site.

Melaleuca produces cosmetics, household products and nutritional supplements. The company employs 1,440 in eastern Idaho, all but 320 living in Idaho Falls.

VanderSloot said that although Melaleuca has operations in Knoxville, Tenn., he’ll keep main operations in eastern Idaho.