$365 million Amgen biotech plant breaks ground in New Albany

A groundbreaking ceremony for an Amgen biotech facility in New Albany took place on Nov. 5. 

The 277,000-square-foot pharmaceutical assembly and packaging plant, located on 177 acres in Central Ohio, will create between 350 and 500 jobs for affiliated members of the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, according to Dorsey Hager, the Council’s Executive Secretary Treasurer.

From left: C/COBCTC President and IBEW Local 683 Business Agent Dustin Gockenbach, C/COBCTC Trustee and Sheet Metal Worker Local 24 Business Manager Rodney French, IBEW Local 683 Business Manager Pat Hook and C/COBCTC Trustee and Iron Workers Local 172 Business Manager-Financial Secretary Neil Amburgey attend the Amgen groundbreaking ceremony.

The architect is CRB Group, and the project’s lead contractor is Turner Construction Co.

“Environmental sustainability will be a priority, and we aspire for this plant to be LEED-certified and designed,” said Sam Guhan, Vice President of Engineering at Amgen in a prepared statement. “We will maximize energy efficiency and waste reduction, advancing Amgen’s plan to make our operations carbon neutral over the next several years.” 

The $365 million assembly and packaging plant is expected to come online in 2024, after which future work is anticipated. Hager believes the price tag for future expansion projects could be just south of the $1 billion ballpark.

“The total project, with additional buildings, could reach somewhere between $800 million to $950 million,” Hager said.

Since the biotech arena is a highly government-regulated sector, the Amgen project will require highly skilled and highly trained building trades members to perform the construction. 

The facility is expected to have seven production lines running 24/7, creating around 400 jobs over six years, according to Columbus Business First. The facility will be the primary site for filling, labeling and packaging a wide variety of Amgen pharmaceuticals in vials and syringes. It will have the most automation and digitization of any Amgen facility. 

“Columbus continues to attract innovative industry leaders to locate here, and Amgen is another example,” Hager said. “The members of the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades have proven we can build projects safely, on time, under budget with a diverse workforce that reflects the city and community we live and work in.”