PORTSMOUTH — A $300 million expansion Lonza Biologics is planning at Pease International Tradeport could add as many as 350 new jobs, making the local facility the company's biggest cell culture plant.
The Switzerland-based manufacturer of biological pharmaceuticals used to develop medicines and health care products is scheduled to break ground May 17 on a new 330,000-square-foot facility. The new building, which will house office, warehouse and support systems, will more than double the company's space at the tradeport.
"The new facility in Portsmouth will further strengthen Lonza's position as the leading supplier to the life-science industry. We will be able to offer our customers tailor-made solutions in manufacturing, with cutting edge fermentation technologies and new throughput-boosting downstream processing," said Stephan Kutzer, head of Lonza Biopharmaceuticals in a press release.
Lonza is already in the process of constructing a 5,000-liter bioreactor to add to the existing 93,000-liter plant. This should be completed in mid-2008.
The announcement of the Portsmouth plant expansion comes on the heels of the start in March 2007 of construction of Lonza's new facility in Singapore.
Pease Development Authority Deputy Director David Mullen called the expansion "wonderful news."
"They are certainly our largest tenant right now," he said.
Lonza currently employs about 650 people and Mullen said the company anticipates hiring another 80 in the short-term and could add more workers to bring the total to as many as 1,000 people by the end of the expansion.
Mullen estimated construction could take three years or more because of the complexity of the systems.
Lonza began operations in Portsmouth when it purchased Celltech, one of the tradeport's original tenants, in 1996.
Mullen added the company's investment in the area is significant because it indicates the firm is committed to the area for the long term, not being the kind of facility that can easily relocate elsewhere in a short period of time.
Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce President Dick Ingram said the expansion is a bellwether for the local economy.
"I think Lonza has found Portsmouth and the tradeport to be a good location for them and the community to be a good partner for them and certainly as they look to grow their work force, one of the benefits of being in this area are the excellent biotech programs in the high schools and the community colleges," he said.
He said this commitment by Lonza will perhaps help keep younger workers in state.
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