Boehringer Ingelheim Invests $80 Million to Expand Animal Vaccine Manufacturing Capacity in the U.S.

DULUTH, Ga., Dec. 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Boehringer Ingelheim, a leading provider of animal health products for pets and livestock, today announced investments totaling more than $80 million to expand its existing facilities in Athens, GA and St. Joseph, MO to accommodate increased production of animal vaccines.

Boehringer Ingelheim's facility in Athens, GA will grow from its current footprint of approximately 350,000 square feet to 400,000 square feet and will nearly double its filling capacity for companion animal and avian vaccines. Construction is slated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2017 and will continue through 2019, with commercial production anticipated to begin in the second half of 2019. The facility, which was established in 1989, currently employs approximately 400, including Research and Development operations also based there. It is expected that an additional 50 positions will be added over the next three years to support the expansion.

Construction at the company's facility in St. Joseph, Missouri also will begin in the fourth quarter 2017 on a 13,000-square-foot expansion to accommodate increased production of livestock animal vaccines sold in the U.S. and globally. The manufacturing operation is part of a 700,000-square-foot total campus in St. Joseph, which also includes a warehouse, research and development and other support functions. The expansion is slated for completion in the second half of 2019, and it is anticipated that 20 additional jobs will be created over the next few years to support the increased capacity.

"The vaccines manufactured today in Athens and St. Joseph make a major difference for both the pets and livestock animals of our customers. The company has pioneered many important advancements in vaccines, and we continue to focus on health and prevention as core principles of our Animal Health business," said Veronique Kodjo, global head of industrial operations for Boehringer Ingelheim's Animal Health business. "These significant investments in expansion and capacity ensure that we can continue to support our future business growth areas."

"With the closing of the Merial acquisition at the beginning of 2017, Boehringer Ingelheim is now the second largest animal health company in the world," said Albrecht Kissel, president of Boehringer Ingelheim's Animal Health business in the U.S.  "The investments we are announcing today are part of our continued commitment to our customers and to the communities in which we operate, and they further strengthen our presence in the U.S."

Boehringer Ingelheim has 10 sites focused on Animal Health in the U.S. which include manufacturing, research and development and commercial operations.  The St. Joseph, Missouri facility is the company's largest animal health manufacturing operation globally, and the site recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of its presence in the community.  Boehringer Ingelheim also has a significant presence in Georgia, with its manufacturing and R&D facility in Athens, an additional manufacturing site located in Gainesville and the headquarters for its U.S. Animal Health business based in Duluth.

About Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health
As the second largest animal health business in the world, Boehringer Ingelheim is committed to improving animal health. With more than 10,000 employees worldwide, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health has products available in more than 150 markets and a global presence in 99 countries. For more information about Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, click here.

About Boehringer Ingelheim
Innovative medicines for people and animals have for more than 130 years been what the research-driven pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim stands for. Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the pharmaceutical industry's top 20 companies and to this day remains family-owned. Day by day, some 50,000 employees create value through innovation for the three business areas of human pharmaceuticals, animal health and biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing. In 2016, Boehringer Ingelheim achieved net sales of around 15.9 billion euros. With more than three billion euros, R&D expenditure corresponds to 19.6 percent of net sales.

Social responsibility comes naturally to Boehringer Ingelheim. That is why the company is involved in social projects such as the "Making More Health" initiative. Boehringer Ingelheim also actively promotes workforce diversity and benefits from its employees' different experiences and skills. Furthermore, the focus is on environmental protection and sustainability in everything the company does.

More information about Boehringer Ingelheim can be found on www.boehringer-ingelheim.com or in our annual report: http://annualreport.boehringer-ingelheim.com.

SOURCE Boehringer Ingelheim

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