The Winston-Salem City Council unanimously approved $150,000 in economic development incentives for Herbalife. The council made its decision after receiving a strong commitment to work-force diversity from the company.
Herbalife provided a letter of reassurance to council members and Mayor Allen Joines on Monday. The Winston-Salem Journal reports the company promised it would develop partnerships with historically black colleges and universities to hire “a diverse group of applicants” for Herbalife jobs.
Council Member D.D. Adams had raised questions about the company's employee makeup in recent weeks. Adams says she's now happy with Herbalife's commitment to diversity but will be watching to see that the company follows through.
Numbers show that racial or ethnic minorities make up 56 percent of Herbalife's overall work force here, but only 40 percent at management level. Most of those positions were filled by Asians, while only 5 percent are black.
The city Herbalife incentives match the amount from Forsyth County. The incentives will spark a local expansion for the company, which expects to add about 300 jobs to its work-force in Winston-Salem.
300x250 Ad
300x250 Ad