Coty facility coming to Calabasas, California

18-Jan-2017 - Last updated on 18-Jan-2017 at 14:30 GMT

The beauty maker’s planed move to a site west of Los Angeles has been approved by both the city’s council and planning committee. And, while the decision has upset select local leaders and residents, it’s not generating nearly as much press as other recent company decisions.

Earlier in January, Coty announced plans to invest $600m in the online direct-sales beauty company Younique--a move that's been well covered by an array of media outlets. While the initial plan is for Youique’s current executives to run that business as usual, it’s feasible that this platform will be built out to accommodate other Coty brands and other aspects of the company’s digital business in the future. Coty’s own press release about the acquisition deal did emphasize the mobile-first, global, scalable, ecommerce qualities of the platform.

And within the last several months, the company made other big announcements, naming a new CEO, and finalizing the acquisition of what was previously P&G’s specialty beauty business.

Going west

Now the beauty giant has the go-ahead to move into an existing building in Calabasas, California, a city of over 24,000 people, just west of Los Angeles. Coty intends to occupy 97,000 square feet of the building with offices, training facilities, and R&D, according to Sylvie Belmond of theacorn.com (a news site covering a few towns in the area).

The company is consolidating existing facilities in North Hollywood and Woodland Hills to staff the new site with as many as 300 people.

Besides conventional office space, the building will house “a small retail store [that] will be used for training and internal sales. There will also be a film studio for advertising and training,” as Belmond reports. “There will not be any manufacturing at the site.” And, “none of the facilities will be open to the public.”

Safety issues

While several community leaders are excited to have such a prominent company locate in town. Others voted against Coty’s application, raising safety and zoning concerns.

Mayor Mary Sue Maurer told the city council, as Belmond reports in another item on theacorn.com, that, “it sets a bad precedent,” and that “research and development is in the industrial land-use category should not be allowed next to a residential area….Nail polish and other cosmetics products typically contain toxic substances.”

The mayor voted against allowing Coty to move into the site as did council member Alicia Weintraub, who isn’t as concerned about the beauty maker’s presence as she is about ensuring that no other companies use the building for R&D. (After Coty moves in over 130,000 square feet will still be available.)