Merck (NYSE:MRK) announced today that it began construction on a new pharmaceutical manufacturing plant at its Elkton, Virginia, site.
The company is investing $3 billion in the 400,000-square-foot facility. This comes as part of a commitment of more than $70 billion beginning this year to expand U.S. manufacturing and R&D. The company seeks to boost long-term growth and strengthen its status in the U.S. as a leader in biopharmaceutical innovation.
Several companies have increased their U.S. investments amid tariff impact, including J&J’s planned $55 billion investment, AbbVie’s commitment to invest more than $10 billion, Eli Lilly’s pledge to double U.S. manufacturing through $50 billion in investments and more.
Expansion in Elkton builds on nearly 85 years there for Merck. It plans to enhance the site with a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical Center of Excellence. That facility includes both active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and drug product investment supporting small molecule manufacturing and testing. Merck expects this to potentially create more than 500 full-time roles and 8,000 construction jobs.
Merck this year alone completed new pharmaceutical manufacturing expansions and broke ground on facilities in North Carolina and Delaware. It expects its investments to create thousands of jobs with a $3.5 billion expansion of its Rahway, New Jersey, headquarters.
“Today is an important milestone for Merck, for Virginia, for manufacturing in the United States and, most importantly, for the patients we serve,” said Robert M. Davis, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck. “This investment helps advance our goal of providing new, innovative treatment options for people facing serious health challenges in the U.S. and around the world.”
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