Vicks VapoRub traces roots to North Carolina pharmacist's effort to help sick son
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.
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.
"He was concerned about the products at that time that would be ingested," said Cory Knox, a representative for Procter & Gamble.
Seeking a safer alternative, Richardson began experimenting with treatments that could be applied externally rather than swallowed.
"And so to provide relief for his son he came up with a rub or a salve," Knox said.
Richardson initially named the remedy "Vick's Croup and Pneumonia Salve," honoring his brother-in-law, Dr. Joshua Vick.
"It provided immediate relief to his son and word got out about this new product that he created," Knox said.
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.
"It started growing rapidly and is now found all over the world," Knox said.
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.
"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."
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.
"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.
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.
While VapoRub was invented in North Carolina, it is now manufactured in Mexico and Germany.
