San Francisco-based Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, held a groundbreaking ceremony in Holly Springs Monday morning to mark the start of construction of its first East Coast manufacturing facility.
The $700 million project is part of Genentech and Roche’s $50 billion investment in US manufacturing and infrastructure.
The 700,000-square-foot facility, which will support the production of metabolic medicines, including next-generation treatments for obesity, will create more than 1,900 jobs — 1,500 construction jobs and 420 manufacturing jobs — with an average annual wage of $120,000.
Genentech CEO Ashley Magargee was in attendance, along with US Rep. Deborah Ross, D-NC2, Gov. Josh Stein, North Carolina Secretary of Commerce Lee Lilley, State Sens. Sydney Batch, D-Wake, and Lisa Grafstein, D-Wake, State Rep. Erin Paré, R-Wake, Democrat Wake County Commissioner Cheryl Stallings, and Republican Holly Springs Mayor Sean Mayefskie.
“We are proud to break ground on our new manufacturing site in Holly Springs, North Carolina, with its world-class biotech talent, top research institutions, and a robust infrastructure that will enable our growth for years to come,” Magargee said in a press release. “With this step, we are taking action to deliver more life-changing medicines to patients faster, contribute to the local economy, and bolster manufacturing and innovation in the US.”
She said the company supports President Trump’s goal to bring more pharmaceutical manufacturing to the United States and appreciates the work that US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and the Department of Commerce’s US Investment Accelerator are doing to remove regulatory barriers that cause delays in establishing manufacturing sites in the United States.
Magargee also thanked North Carolina, Wake County, and Holly Springs officials for their partnership.
“North Carolina has earned its reputation as the best state for business, and Genentech’s decision to put down roots in Holly Springs is further proof of our leadership in the biotech sector,” Stein said. “From our top-tier research universities to our world-class workforce, North Carolina has exactly what companies need to succeed. I am pleased to welcome Genentech to Holly Springs as they expand their operations to the East Coast.”
The new facility is expected to be completed and operational by 2029, and the 100-acre lot includes space for future expansion.
It will be partially funded through a Job Development Investment Grant. The project is estimated to grow by more than $3 billion over a 12-year term.
Under the JDIG agreement, the company may receive up to $9,846,750 in potential reimbursements over 12 years, contingent upon creating 420 jobs. These state payments are issued only after the Departments of Commerce and Revenue confirm that the company has achieved its job creation and investment targets.
Additional incentives comprise $756,000 from the North Carolina Community College System, $827,400 from the Department of Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions, $19.7 million from Wake County, and $13.7 million from Holly Springs, according to a press release from Genentech.
Amgen broke ground in Holly Springs on its $1 billion manufacturing facility in January, and FujiFilm Diosynth Biotechnologies has also announced plans to expand in the area.
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