NC Pharmacist's 1890s Home Remedy Now $1B Global Brand

When Lunsford Richardson's young son struggled to breathe from pneumonia and croup in the 1890s, the Greensboro pharmacist did what any desperate parent would do: he experimented until he found something that worked.

Richardson worried about the harsh medicines children had to swallow back then. So he created a salve that could be rubbed on the chest instead, mixing camphor, eucalyptus oil, and menthol into a remedy he called "Vick's Croup and Pneumonia Salve," named after his brother-in-law, Dr. Joshua Vick.

The relief was immediate. Word spread fast through their Johnston County community, and parents came asking for the healing rub that had saved Richardson's son.

In 1912, that same child, now grown, simplified the name to "Vicks VapoRub" so it could fit on packaging and roll off the tongue easier. The original formula has barely changed since his father first mixed it in their home.

Today, Vicks VapoRub is America's bestselling over-the-counter cough and cold brand. Procter & Gamble acquired the company in the 1980s and turned the Greensboro facility into their fastest-growing healthcare operation worldwide.

The Ripple Effect

The impact on North Carolina goes far beyond nostalgia. P&G's Greensboro plant generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue and spends $300 million yearly on local operations and suppliers.

The company recently added 150 employees and plans to hire more as they expand production lines with advanced robotics. They're investing heavily in manufacturing not just Vicks products but also liquid Pepto-Bismol, which is made exclusively at this North Carolina facility.

"We spend more than 100 million dollars locally every year," says Cory Knox, a P&G representative. "We've created jobs not only for P&G employees but for material suppliers in the local area."

The company credits North Carolina's business-friendly environment and quality workforce for their continued growth. What started as one father's determination to comfort his sick child has created a manufacturing powerhouse that employs hundreds and supports countless supplier jobs across the Triad region.

A parent's love turned into a remedy that's now found in medicine cabinets worldwide, and it's still creating opportunities back home in North Carolina.