Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott announced this week that John Paul Mitchell Systems, or JPMS, the international hair care company, is relocating its headquarters from Century City to Dallas County.
JPMS has had a longtime presence in the Santa Clarita Valley, including a manufacturing facility on Centre Pointe Parkway.
The 45-year-old company, famous for its eponymous signature shampoo and conditioner line, is making a $12 million investment expected to create 80 new jobs, according to Abbott’s statement.
Calling Texas the “headquarters of headquarters,” Abbott’s news release mentioned a $640,000 enterprise grant and an $8,000 bonus for the veteran jobs created as part of the incentive package.
JPMS’ lack of comment on the report has left lingering questions about whether any local footprint will remain. A message left with the company’s corporate offices was not immediately returned.
While longtime presence Princess Cruises also recently announced it was abandoning ship for Florida, the SCV Economic Development Corp. mentioned several gains for the local workforce Thursday that have left the area’s jobs number in the black last year, the most recent data available.
In a statement Thursday, Ondré Seltzer, CEO of the SCVEDC, wrote that the organization has been working with JPMS on ways to keep what it can in Santa Clarita.
“The SCVEDC has continued to work closely with John Paul Mitchell Systems (JPMS), alongside our partners at the city of Santa Clarita. We are currently coordinating several workforce development and business assistance initiatives to ensure that JPMS can continue to thrive in our area,” he wrote Thursday.
In a 2024 report from the SCV Economic Development Corp., which is a local public-private partnership that seeks to help attract and grow businesses, JPMS reported having 130 employees, which made it the 48th-largest private employer locally.
That was a 9.7% reduction from the previous year, and put the company just below Southern California Gas, which had 144 workers.
Manufacturing continues to be an area of focus for the SCVEDC in terms of sectors where it’s looking to attract and keep employment.
“As part of our business-retention initiatives, we continue to provide regular support to our manufacturers in the Santa Clarita Valley. ASC Process Systems, for example, recently expanded its local operations by 44 jobs, adding a new facility in the Valencia Commerce Center,” Seltzer said. “Our area also retained 350 highly skilled life science jobs from IQVIA Laboratories last year, cementing Santa Clarita’s reputation as a growing hub for innovation, advanced manufacturing and opportunity.”
A statement from JPMS co-founder John Paul DeJoria noted he has been a longtime Austin resident.
“I’ve resided in Austin for 25 years and have the privilege of being deeply involved with the community — I know this initiative plays a key role in encouraging businesses like ours to invest in the local economy,” he said in the news release. “We’re grateful to Gov. Abbott and the state of Texas for their warm welcome and support and look forward to contributing to the entrepreneurial spirit and economic growth that make Texas such a special place to do business.”
The most recent figures available show the city of Santa Clarita reported 1,100 more jobs last year — a total of 28,731 — a 4% gain over 2023. The SCV EDC was not immediately available to respond to a request for comment Thursday morning.
The Signal reported on the opening of JPMS’ original SCV opening in July 1988, when it first moved to Golden Valley Road. It would then move down the road to its current Centre Pointe address in 2004.
