Amgen Breaks Ground on $550M Factory in Holly Springs
Amgen, which pioneered the use of recombinant DNA technology four decades ago, has broken ground on a $550 million manufacturing plant in Holly Springs.
Following through on its announcement last August to tap into North Carolina’s prodigious biomanufacturing talent pool, the Thousand Oaks, Calif., company says its newest manufacturing facility will employ 355 people from 2025 through 2029, at an average wage of $119,510.
The facility, expected to be operational by 2025, will support the growing demand for Amgen's medicines that treat serious illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.
"Amgen is adding to North Carolina's strong economic growth with the addition of its newest manufacturing plant to our already robust biomanufacturing ecosystem," said Gov. Roy Cooper, as officials gathered at the plant site to commemorate the official beginning of construction.
The company said the facility will incorporate new technologies to maximize efficiency and help ensure its ability to produce a broad range of medicines. It is to use exacting environmental standards to help the company meet its goal of reducing water usage and waste and achieving carbon neutrality by 2027. Construction management and design services for this new state-of-the-art facility are being led by Integrated Project Services, LLC.
"For over four decades, Amgen has been an innovative leader in the manufacturing of complex biologics. Our commitment to continuous improvement and our significant investments in new technologies have enabled us to further accomplish our mission to serve patients while science rapidly evolves," said Robert Bradway, chairman and chief executive officer of Amgen. "We are delighted to be building our newest facility in North Carolina, a major hub for biopharmaceutical innovation."
Amgen said its selection of North Carolina was driven, in part, by access to diverse talent. Amgen is a founding member of the OneTen Coalition, a coalition of 35 of the world's largest, best-known companies which plans to use its resources to change the employment paradigm for Blacks in the United States. The Coalition aims to hire one million Black Americans into good-paying, family-sustaining jobs over the next 10 years. To achieve this goal, Amgen will work with businesses, educational institutions, and training partners to better develop, retain, and advance diverse talent, focusing on Black Americans without four-year college degrees.
Through the Amgen Foundation, the company is committed to inspiring the next generation of innovators in the Research Triangle region by partnering with local high schools to bring students the "Amgen Biotech Experience." This program, one of many offered by the Amgen Foundation, provides teachers with the resources they need to bring a hands-on biotech learning experience into their classrooms. To date, this program has reached nearly 850,000 students around the world. The Amgen Foundation is the principal channel for Amgen's corporate philanthropy and, to date, has contributed over $325 million to nonprofit organizations advancing excellence in science education and strengthening the communities where the company's employees live and work.
Last year, Amgen was named one of the world's best workplaces by Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work and was also named by Forbes magazine as one of "America's Best Employers for Diversity" for the fourth straight year. In 2022, Amgen was named to Newsweek magazine's list of "America's Most Responsible Companies" for the third consecutive year; JUST Capital's list of "America's Most JUST Companies" for the fifth consecutive year; Barron's list of "America's Most Sustainable Companies" for the second consecutive year; and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's list of "Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality" for the sixth consecutive year.
Amgen has approximately 24,000 employees worldwide. The company also has manufacturing facilities in California, Ireland, Netherlands, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island and Singapore.