Eurofins Starts $59 Million Expansion, Creates 350 Jobs

Eurofins Starts $59 Million Expansion, Creates 350 Jobs March 3, 2017
By Mark Terry, BioSpace.com Breaking News Staff

Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories, headquartered in Lancaster, Penn., announced plans to expand its campus in Lancaster County. The expansion will create 350 new, full-time jobs, as well as keep its current 1,500 staffers.

The largest, single-site environmental laboratory in the U.S., the company provides analytical testing support for biopharma, consultants and government agencies. Founded in 1961, the company provides NELAP-accredited scientific services in environmental sciences.

The company will invest $59 million in the expansion, including building a five-story, 168,000-square-foot facility for laboratories and office space. Eurofins indicates it plans to begin construction in April and has already started hiring new staff.

“As one of the largest employers in Lancaster County, we are pleased to take this significant step to expand our capacity and service portfolio to our global client base as well as provide a great place to grow a career,” said Timothy Oostdyk, chairman of Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories and group senior vice president for Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing, in a statement. “This expansion is the result of the excellent commitment and technical capability of our people in successfully nurturing strategic partnerships with our clients in Europe, North America, and Asia. Further, we appreciate the critical support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Eurofins’ absolute commitment to aggressive funding growth to enhance the way we serve our customers as well as build the best and widest-reaching global testing network.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development awarded Eurofins a $1 million Pennsylvania First Program grant and $1,050,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits, which will be distributed as jobs are created.

The Governor’s Action Team coordinated the project in collaboration with the Economic Development Company of Lancaster Country (EDC).

“I am pleased to announce that Eurofins will make a significant investment in its Lancaster County campus by expanding its cutting-edge operations in the commonwealth and employing 1,500 hard-working Pennsylvanians with family sustaining jobs,” Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf said in a statement. “Projects like this that utilize the talents of our high-skilled and dedicated workforce are what will continue to grow our communities and strengthen our economy.”

Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories is a member of Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing Group. Its Belgium-based parent company, Eurofins Scientific, employs 25,000 people in more than 250 laboratories in 39 countries.

Eurofins Scientific SE acquired Lancaster Laboratories in 2011 from Thermo Fisher Scientific for $200 million. At that time, in 2010, Lancaster had $115 million in annual revenues and about 1,100 employees at operations in the U.S. and Ireland.

Simultaneously, Thermo Fisher sold Athena Diagnostics to Quest Diagnostics for $740 million. The divestitures of Athena and Lancaster occurred as Thermo Fisher was completing a $2.1 billion acquisition of Dionex.

“Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories is a dynamic employer in Lancaster Country, with deep local roots and a strong track record of growth,” said Lisa Riggs, president of EDC in a statement. “We are thrilled and excited to see the company’s continued investment here, anchoring the biopharmaceutical and environmental laboratory work of this global scientific services giant. The company’s state-of-the-art facilities and its talented and growing workforce are major contributors to Lancaster County’s robust economy.”

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