EBW to expand with new NBR 'Rosie' facility in Texas

AUSTIN, Texas—Women won't just be working in plants to "bring our boys home" this time around. They'll be running them to supply a key ingredient for domestically produced personal protective equipment.

EBW (Empowering a Billion Women) Worldwide Inc. revealed Feb. 8 its plans to build a nitrile butadiene rubber plant as part of a bigger plan to create 800 new jobs, fuel the economy and bring business owner success to women and diverse leaders.

The privately held company said the "state-of-the-art" NBR facility will be located in southern Texas—appropriately named "Rosie," a nod to the Rosie the Riveters of World War II.

"NBR is the key ingredient in the manufacturing of medical gloves," EBW said. As women make up 76 percent of the health care work force and 80 percent of health care decisions for the family, the company added, it makes sense that the firm would do its part for the production and delivery of this PPE.

"The Rosie NBR Plant by EBW is the first of a series of planned plants being developed to help transform the delivery of domestically created and distributed critical PPE products to help keep our health care providers, first responders and industry work force safe," EBW said.

The exact location and cost of this project has not been disclosed, though EBW did say its plans for two Texas facilities would create more than 800 jobs in and around Texas.

"We are proud to work alongside our large-scale partners in this endeavor and to help drive excellence in environmental, health and safety, and the American economy," EBW Worldwide CEO Ingrid Vanderveldt said in a statement.

Roberta Lang, EBW chief operating officer and former general counsel and global vice president of Whole Foods Market, said the company is "honored" to bring economic and innovative opportunities to women in business and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math).

"We are bringing best practices, and more environmentally (sound) methods to build and develop industry and manufacturing," she said.

EBW is ranked No. 28 in the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America.

"Being in the top 0.003 (percent) of all women-led companies in the U.S., EBW recognizes our position to continue to create openings and new domestic pathways for our country's top innovators," Vanderveldt said.