CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – In a development Gov. Glenn Youngkin foreshadowed earlier this month during the AstraZeneca groundbreaking in Albemarle County, Merck has begun construction on a $3-billion pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Rockingham County, bringing 600 jobs to the Elkton location.
At the AstraZeneca event on Oct. 9, Gov. Youngkin said, “It will be the core of what I expect to be the epicenter between Richmond and Rockingham County of a pharmaceutical manufacturing district, a life sciences corridor that will rival any place in the world.”
While the AstraZenaca groundbreaking happened a week after he announced Eli Lilly building a $5-billion plant in Goochland County’s West Creek Business Park west of Richmond, there had been no announcement about Rockingham County yet.
The Merck facility was in the works and Monday’s announcement said the project has grown from its original concept. It will be a $3-billion project, with a 600-job commitment, an increase in scope from a $2-billion, 300 job investment the company was first planning.
“The expansion is part of Merck’s $70 billion commitment to domestic research, development, and capital projects,” the Governor’s release said.
“Merck’s transformational $3 billion commitment to locate its Center of Excellence marks a giant leap forward for both America’s and Virginia’s life sciences sector,” said Gov. Youngkin. “It deepens the company’s long-standing commitment to innovation and strengthens the Commonwealth’s position as the emerging national leader in biopharmaceutical advanced manufacturing and life sciences. With hundreds of new jobs and cutting-edge capabilities coming to the Shenandoah Valley, we’re building a future where Virginians lead the way in developing lifesaving medicines for patients around the world.”
“Today is an important milestone for Merck, for Virginia, for manufacturing in the United States and, most importantly, for the patients we serve,” said Merck Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert M. Davis. “This investment will help advance our goal of providing new, innovative treatment options for people facing serious health challenges in the U.S. and around the world.”
The Governor’s release continues, “The expansion builds on Merck’s nearly 85-year history in the Shenandoah Valley, enhancing the site with a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical Center of Excellence that will include both active pharmaceutical ingredient and drug product investment, supporting small-molecule manufacturing and testing. The company’s new pharmaceutical Center of Excellence will be in addition to the company’s existing operations in Elkton, Virginia.”
