Manufacturer opens 'green' headquarters in Aurora

Freudenberg Household Products, an international manufacturer of cleaning and laundry products, is moving into its new North American headquarters in Aurora.

About 300 employees are moving into the 525,000-square-foot facility on Aurora's east side in the Prairie Point West Industrial Park. It serves as the administrative, manufacturing and distribution center for all of North America.

The company, most recognized for its O-Cedar brand of O-Cedar mops, brooms and other cleaning products, developed the new building at 2188 Diehl Road in conjunction with the U.S. Green Building Council.

The company designed and constructed the state-of-the-art facility using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System.

FHP expects to receive LEED certification on the $25 million facility in early 2010.

FHP recorded sales of nearly $1 billion in 2008 with about 2,300 employees globally.

City officials were able to sweeten the pot to further entice the move by giving Freudenberg a seven-year tax rebate at 75 percent of the city's portion of property taxes, capped at $1.55 million, and waiving 75 percent of the building permit fees, up to $127,000.