Biopharmaceutical company UCB names Gwinnett County site of 1st U.S. biologics facility

Originally published in CBS News Atlanta.

Global biopharmaceutical company UCB, Inc. has named Gwinnett County the site of its first pharmaceutical biologics manufacturing facility in the United States.

The Belgian drugmaker and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced the plan for the facility on Tuesday.

Officials say UCB plans to invest $2 billion in Georgia as part of the work at the new site, which will be located on the Rowen Foundation’s 2,000-acre science and learning campus near Dacula.

“When we met with UCB leadership earlier this year in Belgium, we discussed how the Peach State would be the right partner for their visionary plans in the U.S. that will benefit both patients and hardworking Georgians,” Kemp said. “UCB’s announcement is also a significant milestone for our life sciences industry, representing one of the largest investments in state history and establishing both the Rowen facility and Georgia as a true hub of innovation in this field.”

The new facility would create 330 permanent jobs in biologics manufacturing and more than 1,000 construction jobs. UCB estimated it would generate an estimated $5 billion in economic impact for the area.

A visit to the ‘Campus UCB’ gene therapy facility of bio-pharmaceutical company UCB in Braine-L’alleud.BRUNO FAHY/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images

“By investing in Georgia, where our U.S. headquarters have been based for more than three decades, we are strengthening our biologics manufacturing capabilities, supporting our innovation pipeline, and creating high-quality jobs in a state that offers outstanding talent, a strong manufacturing tradition, and an ecosystem designed for sustainable, long-term success,” UCB CEO Jean-Christophe Tellier said.

UCB’s North American headquarters is located in Smyrna. Currently, it supports more than 400 jobs in the area.