Lilly representatives said the new site will bring 615 new jobs to the area, including positions for engineers, scientists and lab technicians. Company officials also said they expect to create 4,000 construction jobs in the area as the site build takes off.
“Texas is stepping up to ensure that we do our part and expand biomedical manufacturing right here in our great state,” Gov. Greg Abbott said at the conference.
What you need to know
Lilly, which produces medicines like Mounjaro, Zepbound and Ebglyss, will focus the new facility on manufacturing small molecule medicines for areas including cardiometabolic health, oncology, immunology and neuroscience, according to a Sept. 23 news release.
The 236-acre site will include machine learning, artificial intelligence and digitally integrated systems. Site head for Lilly Houston, Diane Tennenhouse, said the site is not a direct replication of any of the company’s other facilities.
“This is built for the future,” Tennenhouse said at the conference. “We're actively seeking folks with a safety-first mindset, dedicated to quality and ready to improve lives.”
The impact
For every dollar Lilly spends in the area, the company estimates up to an additional $4 in local economic stimulation, Lilly officials said in a news release
“$6.5 billion is what we'll spend [for] over $25 billion of economic impact ... here in Texas,” Lilly Chair and CEO Dave Riggs said at the conference.
How we got here
In February, Lilly announced its plans to build four new pharmaceutical manufacturing sites around the country. Along with its Houston location, company officials recently announced they would build a site in Virginia and plan to announce two other locations later this year.
Lilly selected Generation Park as the Houston site, which is a 4,300-acre master-planned community located in northeast Houston.
In a news release, officials with McCord Development said they’re preparing to meet the incoming workforce demand by partnering with San Jacinto College and the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training to launch The Center for Biotechnology at Generation Park, which is designed to advance workforce development. The center officially opens Sept. 26.
“We are committed to equipping our students and industry partners with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the dynamic pharmaceutical therapies industry,” San Jacinto College Chancellor Brenda Hellyer said in a Sept. 23 news release.
What’s next
Lilly’s new manufacturing facility is expected to be up and running within five years, according to Lilly representatives.
