Ecoclean Solutions, green cleaning products firm, expands Copiague plans

A seller of cleaning products has revised its expansion plans in Copiague and will acquire two buildings instead of one, increasing the price tag of its project by 42 percent, officials said.

Ecoclean Solutions Inc., now sharing office and warehouse space in Farmingdale with a related business, will purchase an 8,250-square-foot facility at 578 Oak St.

Ecoclean had intended to buy only 570 Oak St., which is 21,440 square feet, but the structures’ owner wanted them sold together, according to the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency.

The larger building purchase means Ecoclean’s expansion project is valued at $2.5 million.

The IDA tax breaks that it will receive are also higher: $258,700, including $257,000 off property tax bills, or a 30 percent reduction over 12 years. In December the IDA had granted $160,600 in aid over 10 years.

In return, Ecoclean has doubled the number of permanent jobs it will create in two years to 10. They would pay, on average, $33,800 per year, excluding benefits. The company also will continue to employ about 10 independent contractors as sales representatives.

The IDA’s board of directors approved the larger incentive package last week.

Ecoclean produces environmentally friendly drain openers, oven and barbecue grill cleaners, and stain remover wipes, all under the Green Gobbler brand. The products are sold by The Home Depot, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Ace Hardware, QVC, Amazon.com and other retailers. Five-year-old Ecoclean also sells directly to consumers via greengobbler.com.

Green Gobbler items are now made in Arkansas, but company president Eric Sternberg told the IDA in December that “the end goal is to move everything” to Copiague.

He also said the sister company, Century, which supplies cleaning products to hotels, apartment buildings and governments, would eventually move to Copiague. Century now employs 36 people on Heisser Court in Farmingdale.