GREENSBORO, N.C. (WTVD) — Vicks VapoRub, the nation’s top-selling over-the-counter cough and cold brand, traces its roots to North Carolina over 130 years ago and began with a dad’s effort to comfort his sick child.<\/p>\n
The product was developed in the 1890s by Greensboro pharmacist Lunsford Richardson, a Johnston County native, while he was caring for his young son. The child was suffering from pneumonia and croup, a condition that can cause severe throat swelling and breathing difficulties.<\/p>\n
“He was concerned about the products at that time that would be ingested,” said Cory Knox, a representative for Procter & Gamble.<\/p>\n
Seeking a safer alternative, Richardson began experimenting with treatments that could be applied externally rather than swallowed.<\/p>\n
“And so to provide relief for his son he came up with a rub or a salve,” Knox said.<\/p>\n
Richardson initially named the remedy “Vick’s Croup and Pneumonia Salve,” honoring his brother-in-law, Dr. Joshua Vick.<\/p>\n
“It provided immediate relief to his son and word got out about this new product that he created,” Knox said.<\/p>\n
As demand grew, the product evolved. In 1912, Richardson’s son — the same child who had once been treated with the salve — renamed it “Vicks VapoRub,” a simpler name that was easier to pronounce and fit on packaging. The formula has remained largely unchanged, built around three primary ingredients: camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol.<\/p>\n
“It started growing rapidly and now is found all over the world,” Knox said.<\/p>\n
Procter & Gamble acquired the Vicks brand in the 1980s, expanding its global footprint. Today, the company’s Greensboro operation generates more than $1 billion annually, making it P&G’s fastest-growing health care facility worldwide.<\/p>\n
“Our economic impact goes beyond that”, Knox says, “We spend more than 100 million dollars locally every year and we’ve created not only jobs for P&G employees but we’ve created new jobs for the material suppliers in the local area.. so our impact is very, very large.”<\/p>\n
The company continues to invest heavily in the Triad, spending $300 million annually in Greensboro. Those investments include advanced robotics used to manufacture a range of Vicks products, with additional lines planned. The Greensboro facility also holds a unique distinction: it is the only plant in the world that produces liquid Pepto-Bismol.<\/p>\n
“North Carolina is in general a very attractive place to do business from not only a tax standpoint but really from the quality of our employees,” Knox said.<\/p>\n
In recent years, Procter & Gamble has added 150 employees at the site and plans further hiring as operations continue to expand. The company’s growth underscores how a product born from one father’s determination to help his son became a global household name.<\/p>\n
While VapoRub was invented in North Carolina, it is now manufactured in Mexico and Germany.<\/p>\n