Emerson Ecologics, LLC, of Bedford, NH, announces it will invest up to $1 million to open a distribution facility in Richmond, VA. The Chesterfield County project will immediately create 35 jobs, and potentially employ a total of 60 workers over the next three years. The new facility is expected to increase the firm's overall distribution abilities by 50 percent and be a critical factor for future growth.

Emerson Ecologics is a provider of professional-grade nutritional supplements to the healthcare practitioner market, distributing over 20,000 products from hundreds of industry leading manufacturers.

Company CEO Andy Greenawalt said the decision to select Richmond was based on many factors, including the ability to reach a majority of its East and Midwest doctors via small parcel ground shipping in two days. "We take pride in our two-day delivery commitment and strive to achieve this as efficiently and reliably as possible," explained Greenawalt, "As we investigated the region, we were impressed by the business-friendly climate, as well as the access to well designed, climate-controlled facilities that met our needs."

The Virginia Department of Business Assistance said it will provide funding and services to support the company's recruitment and training activities through the state's jobs investment program.