Amelia Gray Skin Care and Cosmetics, a locally owned and operated business in Portsmouth, Ohio today announced expansion plans and the creation of three new jobs. Founded in 2015, the woman-owned business provides estheticians on-staff with expertise in personalized custom skincare routines and makeup. Amelia Gray’s staff experience and curation abilities help them stand above much of their competition. E-commerce sales for the company experienced significant growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. The planned expansion will allow the company to expand its e-commerce operations.
“We are excited to invest in our home town of Portsmouth with the assistance of JobsOhio and OhioSE,” said Tarrah Bouts, owner of Amelia Gray. “Business during the COVID-19 shutdown was challenging for our spa and salon, however we were able to increase our online shopping presence and realized significant growth through our e-commerce platform.” Amelia Gray sells products online across the U.S. including Bare Minerals, Face Reality and Viktoria DeAnn.
JobsOhio is providing a $50,000 Inclusion Grant that will be used towards M&E, building and infrastructure costs associated with the rehabilitation of an under-utilized building in Portsmouth. JobsOhio Inclusion Grants exists to provide financial support for eligible projects in designated distressed communities and/or for businesses owned by underrepresented populations across the state.
“Amelia Gray took the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity and made a bold pivot into e-commerce,” said OhioSE VP, Katy Farber. “We are optimistic that Amelia Gray’s competitive advantages will help them be a successful online player in the beauty industry.”
“The Scioto County Economic Development Depart is very excited to work with both OhioSE and Amelia Gray Skin Care and Cosmetics on this project,” said Robert Horton, Executive Director of Scioto County Economic Development. “This project will expand the company’s footprint in Scioto County as well as their on-line presence and also create three new jobs. Project like this are important for the continued growth of Scioto County’ business community.”
Additional coverage:
- “Amelia Gray Skin Care and Cosmetics of Portsmouth announces expansion” – The Pike County News Watchman, 09/22/2021
- “Amelia Gray Skin Care and Cosmetics of Portsmouth announces expansion, creation of 3 new jobs” – The Highland County Press, 09/20/2021
- “Business Beat” – The Herald-Dispatch, 09/23/2022
