New facility deepens collaboration with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to cultivate the next generation of technical leadership and accelerate breakthroughs in cleaning and pest control
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Sept. 1, 2026) – PurposeBuilt Brands is pleased to announce the establishment of a new Research & Development facility at 2109 S. Oak Street, Suite 100B, in Champaign, Illinois. The new location strengthens PurposeBuilt Brands’ commitment to product innovation, technical excellence and deeper collaboration with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, positioning the company to develop the next generation of technical leadership while driving breakthroughs in cleaning and pest control.
The Champaign facility will support R&D work across PurposeBuilt Brands’ portfolio of consumer and commercial cleaning brands, providing dedicated space for formulation development, product testing and applied research. Marsophia Marcellus, a recent Ph.D. graduate of the university, will serve as the site’s new Lab Manager, overseeing day-to-day laboratory operations and supporting collaboration across the R&D team.
The site is expected to help accelerate innovation, expand technical capabilities and create new opportunities to engage students, faculty and researchers in one of the nation’s leading university research communities all while helping build a pipeline of technical talent for PurposeBuilt Brands’ future.
“Champaign gives us direct access to outstanding scientific and engineering talent right in our backyard,” said Sylwia Aldrin, VP of R&D and Regulatory at PurposeBuilt Brands. “This location creates a practical environment for hands-on formulation work, testing, and collaboration.”
“I’m excited to build a lab culture here in Champaign that reflects both scientific rigor and curiosity,” said Marsophia Marcellus, Lab Manager at PurposeBuilt Brands. “Being so close to the University of Illinois gives our team a direct line to emerging talent and fresh thinking, and I’m looking forward to mentoring the next generation of scientists as we grow this site.”
PurposeBuilt Brands is headquartered in Gurnee, Illinois, and develops products designed to solve tough cleaning, surface-care and pest control challenges for homes, businesses and professional users. The new Champaign R&D facility will complement the company’s existing technical organization and support continued growth across brands including Weiman, Green Gobbler, Goo Gone, Biokleen, Urnex, Five Star Chemicals, 30 Seconds Cleaners, Micro-Scientific, Harris and Mighty Mint.
The facility reflects PurposeBuilt Brands’ ongoing investment in purposeful innovation, customer-focused product development, and partnerships — spanning both cleaning and pest control — that help bring high-performing, practical solutions to market.
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About Research Park at the University of Illinois
Research Park at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is an on-campus technology hub for startup companies and corporate research and development operations. Within Research Park there are 100 companies employing students year-round and full-time technology professionals as a community of innovators. More information at researchpark.illinois.edu.