Gov. Jay Nixon announced a plan to support the building of a new, state-of-the-art facility in Chesterfield to be leased by Pfizer Inc., one of the world’s premier biopharmaceutical companies. Pfizer has been in Missouri for more than 13 years and currently employs more than 450 scientists and other professionals in the state.
The company expects to create more than 80 new jobs through the Chesterfield project over the next few years. To support Pfizer’s new facility, the state has offered a strategic economic incentive package that the company can receive if it meets strict job creation criteria. The expansion is also being made possible through local incentives offered by St. Louis County.
Construction of the $200 million facility is expected to begin in mid-2017 and be completed by 2020. St. Louis-based CRG together with Clayco will be the developer and owner of the new facility in Chesterfield.
“From startups on the brink of discovery to global companies moving the needle on advanced medicine and solutions, Missouri continues to garner expansions and job creation, further solidifying its position as the epicenter of bioscience and tech innovation,” Gov. Nixon said. “Our education and research institutions are shaping the brightest minds that are eager to get into the lab and make a difference in the world. Companies like Pfizer benefit from this growing talent pool and the natural synergy that comes with being part of the region’s burgeoning bioscience community.”
Once the new building in Chesterfield is complete, Pfizer will bring together colleagues from two sites and multiple buildings under one roof to house its bioprocess, analytical and formulation development, non-GMP processing, as well as GMP cell banking operations, and cell bank storage necessary to support both its R&D and commercial biologic and vaccine products.
“Missouri is an important part of Pfizer’s R&D network, and we’re proud of the world-class employee base we’ve built here,” said John Ludwig, senior vice president of BioTherapeutics Research for Pfizer. “Thanks to the support we’ve received from the state of Missouri, St. Louis County and Chesterfield, our new St. Louis laboratory facility will provide the right location and space as we continue to evolve our business over the coming years.”
“Pfizer is yet another example of an innovative company that has chosen St. Louis County as an important base. The company had several location options, but wanted to be here because St. Louis County is a great place to live and do business. That’s why we continue to attract businesses with diverse talent and true vision. John Ludwig and his team are at the forefront of biopharma, and they will be a true asset to our community,” said St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger.
“Pfizer's further investment in St. Louis helps solidify the importance of the biosciences industry in the region,” said Joe Reagan, President & CEO of the St. Louis Regional Chamber. “We are very pleased to support this development that will drive further research and continue to attract top talent to our region.”
Pfizer’s continued presence in Missouri builds onto the state’s strong bioscience industry. In addition to being home to St. Louis-based Monsanto and a Bayer facility that has operated in Kansas City since the 1950s, Missouri’s other assets include the Danforth Plant Science Center and the Stowers Institute. The Show-Me State also includes world-class research institutions such as Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Missouri System. Missouri has the largest concentration of plant scientists in the world per capita, as well as the most animal health industry assets in the world through the KC Animal Health Corridor.
Over the past few years, Missouri’s position as the center for bioscience and biotechnology has been bolstered through several major announcements of new jobs and investments by Pharma Medica Research Inc. and Express Scripts. The state also has garnered expansions from several foreign bioscience companies that are setting up headquarters and labs right here in the Show-Me State for the first time.