Sephora’s Mission: Inclusion at the Heart

At Sephora’s Western Distribution Center, hundreds of boxes, filled with bright colored, sweet smelling beauty products, roll down production lines, headed to online clients across the US.

The 715,000 square foot facility, which opened in 2019 in North Las Vegas, supports about 30% of the prestige omni retailer’s US ecommerce order volume.

Company officials say there are three main reasons they choose Southern Nevada for their fifth U.S. distribution center.

“First, its proximity to California, where a large base of both our clients and retail stores reside,” said Tucker Morgan, General Manager of the West Coast Distribution Center. “Second, there is a robust talent pool that allows us to operate at a successful capacity. And finally, we were attracted by the state’s willingness to offer incentives to allow us to expand and grow our business.”

The Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA) connected with Sephora in 2017, providing assistance with successfully applying for tax incentives, and facilitating connections with public and private resources in the region.

“The partnership with the LVGEA played a critical role in helping Sephora make its decision on where to expand and connected us to the right people and organizations to ensure a smooth transition,” said Morgan.

Sephora prides itself on being a ‘people first’ company, saying their employees are the heart of the organization.

“Inclusion is at the heart of Sephora’s DNA,” says Morgan. “We seek to create an inclusive workplace by hiring diverse talent from all walks of life and empowering our employees to achieve their best self through advancement of their career goals.”

Brandon Hayes, an Inventory Control Shift Coordinator, has worked at Sephora for three years, and says he feels like he’s been given the chance to grow professionally.

“I have never been a part of a company that truly cares for its employees to the capacity that Sephora does,” says Hayes. “I genuinely get up every day looking forward to come in to work. These past three years have been some of the best in my life and I know coming into this building every day is such a big contribution to that.”

The company also employs people with disabilities through their All Abilities Hiring initiative, which creates accessible environments for those with disabilities.

“Since the program’s inception, we’ve seen a positive change in our work environment, mainly in the culture,” said Morgan. “When people of all abilities come together and take the time to get to know each other and work together, amazing things happen. Employees become more engaged, supervisors and managers become better leaders, and the community benefits overall by allowing everyone to participate equally.”

There are currently more than 60 people with various disabilities working at the Western Distribution Center, and the company hopes to eventually employ 30% of its full-time staff through the program.

“That is an important thing for our community, because those folks tend to be overlooked by certain areas of the workforce,” says Perry Ursem, Senior Vice President of Business Development at LVGEA. “Sephora takes a keen interest in making sure those folks have an opportunity.”

Sephora currently has between 300 – 350 full-time employees year-round and flexes up to 800 during promotional seasons. The company plans to expand the facility over the next year and a half, adding more than 100 full-time positions.

“LVGEA is focused on bringing good-fit companies to the Greater Vegas region, and Sephora fits the profile,” says Ursem. “They’re a transportation and logistics company, one of our target industries. And they’re an inclusive company that cares about the community.”