BEVERLY HILLS : Freeman Cosmetics to Move Its Plant From Nevada to Compton on Oct. 1

A Beverly Hills-based cosmetics company is giving Compton a boost.

Come Oct. 1, Freeman Cosmetics Corp., which boasts annual sales of $100 million, will open a manufacturing facility in Compton’s industrial park.

The plant will employ about 350 people.

Compton prevailed in fierce competition to attract the Freeman plant away from Nevada, said the company’s president, Larry Freeman. Long Beach, Commerce, Pico Rivera and the City of Industry were also vying for the plant.

“We’re in love with the city of Compton,” Freeman said. “They made us feel like we were wanted.”

Of course, Freeman’s love doesn’t come without a price.

To attract the skin- and hair-care company’s plant, Compton promised Freeman at least $300,000 in low-interest city loans to purchase manufacturing equipment and to help defray setup costs.

The city also agreed to help move Freeman from its current site in Henderson, Nev., and help the company find and train new employees.

“The most important thing I saw in this deal was employment opportunities for our citizens,” said Councilman Ronald Green, who is credited with helping woo Freeman.

The company operated a plant in Long Beach until moving to Nevada in 1992. But in the past two years, company officials came to regret the move, Freeman said.

“We couldn’t find enough skilled labor in Nevada and the business climate there was really not as ideal as many companies might imagine,” Freeman said. “I guess you could say the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”