Montrose Environmental Group Inc. of Irvine, Calif., has moved its principal executive office to North Little Rock, where it owns and operates CTEH, an environmental consulting firm.
Montrose said it eventually will create 90 high-paying jobs as part of the move, which took effect Friday.
Formerly known as the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, CTEH originated as a broad-service toxicology and environmental health consulting firm but developed an expertise in responding to chemical spill emergencies, serving chemical and petroleum companies, transportation organizations and railroads in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
At the time of its purchase last year by Montrose, CTEH had 170 employees, including biologists and toxicologists, at its headquarters on Northshore Drive in North Little Rock.
CTEH was one of the original spinoffs from the business incubator program of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences' Biotechnology Center.
A spokeswoman for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission said Montrose is eligible for two incentives programs: a sales-tax rebate on building materials, taxable machinery and equipment, and a cash rebate based on annual payroll for new employees.
In a news release distributed by the development commission, Allan Dicks, chief financial officer for Montrose, cited a "multi-state assessment" in its decision to move its executive office to North Little Rock.
"In addition to the business-friendly climate, Arkansas' Central Time Zone is ideal for a public company like Montrose with thousands of employees and more than 70 offices globally," Dicks said. "Since joining the [North] Little Rock community in 2020 with our acquisition of CTEH, we have been impressed with the quality of talent."
Montrose said it has more than 2,000 employees across all of its operations. Montrose is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Its shares rose $1.37 to close Tuesday at $51.44.