Mary Kay Inc. is breaking ground on a new 480,000 square foot U.S.-based global manufacturing and research and development facility located on a 26.2 acre plot of land in Lewisville, Texas.

As a global cosmetics company, the new $125 million building will support the company's future needs in producing skin care, color cosmetics and fragrances for more than 3.5 million Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants in more than 35 countries.

According to company officials “following an exhaustive search of potential locations throughout North Texas, Mary Kay identified the city of Lewisville in Denton County last November as the future site of its new state-of-the-art manufacturing and R&D facility. The new building will be located at the northeast corner of Denton Tap Road and Vista Ridge Mall Drive with a projected completion date of first quarter of 2018."

"Our company was founded in Dallas 53 years ago today and we are proud of our continued commitment to North Texas and products made in America. We are committed to the latest in technological innovation and Mary Kay's new manufacturing and R&D operations will be on the leading edge of design and production. With the construction of this new facility, we will continue to produce best-in-the-industry products that our independent sales force members sell to Mary Kay brand lovers around the world," said David Holl.

The criteria for selecting the new site included employee and logistical considerations, as well as proximity to the company's other North Texas facilities, including its global headquarters in Addison, a distribution center in Carrollton and a warehouse facility in Dallas.

"The city of Lewisville is thrilled to welcome Mary Kay Inc. as it breaks ground on the company's newest facility in the heart of North Texas," said Lewisville Mayor Rudy Durham. "As a recreational and business hub of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Lewisville is a perfect fit with an iconic hometown brand such as Mary Kay. We look forward to partnering on this exciting and innovative vision for Mary Kay's new U.S. based global manufacturing and R&D facility."

The beauty company's current 420,000 square foot global manufacturing and R&D facility opened on Regal Row in Dallas in 1969, officials said. Today, the company employs more than 500 manufacturing and R&D employees and produces up to 1.1 million products per day, of which 57 percent are exported to Mary Kay's international markets.