WICKLIFFE, Ohio — Lubrizol is planning a multi-million-dollar upgrade to its Wickliffe headquarters as the specialty chemicals company approaches its 100th anniversary in 2028.
As part of the project, Lubrizol will move hundreds of employees from Brecksville to the Wickliffe campus, consolidating more than 1,000 jobs at a single site. In a news release, the company said the move is meant to enhance teamwork, speed up decision-making and expand growth opportunities.
Two-thirds of the 1,000 employees currently work in Wickliffe. The rest are based in Brecksville, at a roughly 160-acre campus Lubrizol eventually plans to put up for sale, a company spokeswoman wrote in an email.
At this point, Lubrizol won't put a price tag on the project, saying the headquarters overhaul is still in the preliminary design phase. The company also isn't ready to talk in detail about public incentives for the deal.
"We are receiving support and are thankful for our public partners," Olivia Tormento, Lubrizol's director of corporate communications, wrote in response to questions from News 5.
She specifically thanked the Lake County Development Board, regional economic development group Team NEO and JobsOhio, the state's private nonprofit economic development corporation.
A Team NEO spokeswoman confirmed that JobsOhio expects to support the project. The details about that assistance won't be available until JobsOhio signs its final agreement with Lubrizol.
In the company's news release, Gov. Mike DeWine praised Lubrizol's decision to stay in Ohio.
"Once again, Lubrizol has chosen Ohio and Lake County for the heart of its operations," DeWine said. "By reinvesting in its global headquarters and state-of-the-art labs, Lubrizol is building on its nearly 100-year legacy in Greater Cleveland, reinforcing the company's impact on Northeast Ohio."
Lubrizol, owned by Berkshire Hathaway, has more than 7,000 employees worldwide. About 20% of that workforce is in Northeast Ohio. The company plans to keep its manufacturing plants in Painesville and Avon Lake.
At the Wickliffe campus, Lubrizol plans to upgrade its labs and open a new visitor experience center, showcasing the company's work and its impact on everyday life and a wide range of industries. The renovations also will include interactive workspaces, revamped cafeterias and better meeting spaces. Construction will take place in phases over the next few years.
Employees won't start moving from Brecksville to Wickliffe until 2028, Tormento said.
Lubrizol doesn't expect to create new jobs right away as a result of the project. But the renovated campus will include room to grow, she wrote in an email.
"Lubrizol is our city's largest employer and is deeply ingrained in our community," Wickliffe Mayor Joseph Sakacs said in a news release. "Our residents and fellow manufacturing companies rely on Lubrizol to provide jobs, stable incomes, and a strong, resilient local economy."
Tormento said Lubrizol considered "several options" for a consolidated headquarters, but she didn't provide any details. In an emailed statement, Brecksville Mayor Daryl Kingston said the company was weighing local opportunities against an out-of-state move, to Texas.
Brecksville vied for the consolidated headquarters project, Kingston said. But Lubrizol ultimately told him that expanding in Wickliffe will cost half as much as building a new facility in Brecksville.
"Although I agree with a statement made by Governor DeWine that retaining Lubrizol in Northeast Ohio is a win for the region, the loss of this company's presence will have an impact on both the city and Cuyahoga County," Kingston said.
