Avon Products Inc., which scaled back manufacturing at its Springdale plant nine years ago, Thursday said it will expand manufacturing there, adding 200 jobs in the next year.

        The move is part of a manufacturing restructuring by the largest direct seller of cosmetics. The company will close its Suffern, N.Y., plant, eliminating 260 jobs.

        Avon, which previously announced plans to cut $400 million in spending through elimination of 3,500 jobs, said the 1.1 million-square-foot Springdale plant is larger and more modern than the 105-year-old Suffern plant, which produces lipsticks and other color cosmetics.

        “This is certainly good news,” Springdale City Administrator Cecil Osborn said. “Avon's been a major employer here for 30 years and a great corporate citizen.”

        He said the company hasn't requested any tax incentives for the job expansion.

        The Springdale plant employs about 1,500. That includes a national telephone call center, a returned-goods processing center and some manufacturing and warehousing, a spokesman said. Avon's other U.S. manufacturing plant is in Morton's Grove, Ill.

        Avon also said Thursday that it will boost research and development spending by more than $100 million in the next three years. The company, which competes with Procter & Gamble Co.'s Cover Girl and Pantene brands, spent $46 million on product development last year.

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