RICHMOND, VA — Pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly and Company is moving forward with plans for a $5 billion state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that will generate 650 jobs in Virginia. The announcement was made by Governor Glenn Youngkin this week. The governor said the project will also generate 1,800 construction jobs at the West Creek Business Park in Goochland County.
The investment will be a significant expansion beyond the company's original plans, which called for a $2.148 billion investment and 468 jobs.
The new site will be the company's first active pharmaceutical ingredient and drug product plant for Lilly's emerging bioconjugate platform and monoclonal antibody portfolio. The treatments are primarily used to treat cancer but are being explored for autoimmune diseases and other conditions.
Lilly has committed to more than $50 billion in new manufacturing investments since 2020, with plans to build four new manufacturing facilities in the U.S. The Goochland project represents one of the four projects; the three other locations should be announced before the end of 2025.
Lilly will be eligible to receive a special appropriation of up to $130 million based on an investment of more than $2.148 billion and the creation of 468 jobs, subject to approval by the Virginia General Assembly.
Lilly, a nearly 150-year-old pharmaceutical company based in Indianapolis, has made some significant investments to boost its U.S.-based capabilities. In June, the pharmaceutical giant announced plans to acquire Verve Therapeutics, a Boston-based clinical-stage company developing genetic medicines for cardiovascular disease, for $1.3 billion.
The acquisition came just a few months after the company announced its commitment to more than double its U.S. manufacturing investment to $50 billion, creating thousands of jobs in the process.
The company currently has more than 49,000 employees worldwide, with about 22,000 employees based in the U.S. Lilly has manufacturing facilities in nine countries, including U.S.-based facilities in Indiana, North Carolina, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Puerto Rico.
