Workers broke ground on an Amgen biotech facility in New Albany on Nov. 5.
The Los Angeles-based biotech firm is building a 277,000-square-foot pharmaceutical assembly and packaging plant on 177 acres in New Albany. The new project is expected to create about 350 to 500 construction jobs, including work for members of Sheet Metal Workers Local 24. The project’s architect is CRB Group, and Turner Construction Co. is the general contractor.
“Environmental sustainability will be a priority, and we aspire for this plant to be LEED-certified and designed,” said Sam Guhan, Vice President of Engineering at Amgen, in a prepared statement. “We will maximize energy efficiency and waste reduction, advancing Amgen’s plan to make our operations carbon neutral over the next several years.”
More work is expected when the $365 million assembly and packaging plant comes online in 2024.
“Our hope is we ultimately could help them build out a campus and presence across Central Ohio,” said Kenny McDonald, CEO of One Columbus, to Columbus Business First.
Future expansion depends on the project’s success.
“This will be a 30- or 40-year investment for us,” Amgen CEO Robert Bradway told Columbus Business First. “We’re excited to do more. Not all communities … have been as supportive as this one.”
Since the biotech sector is highly regulated, the Amgen project will require highly skilled and highly trained building trades members to fill the construction jobs.
The facility is expected to have seven production lines running every day, around the clock, and will create a total of 400 jobs over six years, according to Columbus Business First.
“Amgen’s choice to build a cutting-edge facility where approximately 400 Ohioans will assemble and package medicines that will positively benefit the lives of millions of those battling serious illnesses globally is great news for the State of Ohio,” said Gov. Mike DeWine in a prepared statement. “Amgen’s newest plant will be its most efficient and sustainable yet, while showcasing the advantages of tapping into Ohio’s biotech talent and ingenuity.”