A state grant will help a global contract pharmaceutical development and manufacturing organization expand operations at its U.S. headquarters in Souderton and double its physical presence in nearby Lansdale as well as expand its Audubon site.
The company, Almac Group, will create 312 jobs over the next three years with its expansion, said Melissa Sileo, senior public relations associate for Almac Group.
Almac Group plans to invest more than $6 million in the expansion project, she said, including buying new machine lines, computer equipment, software and an expanded cold storage area. The company also plans to keep its 1,110 employees in the U.S.
Almac Group, whose global headquarters are in Ireland, marks its 20th year in the U.S. this year and has about 4,600 total employees across all locations, she said. Audubon was its first U.S. location; its Souderton site opened in 2011.
The company will add clinical technology jobs to its Lansdale location.
While the bulk of Almac Group’s growth can be accommodated in its 240,000-square-foot-headquarters, the company will lease an additional 26,000-square feet of office space in Lansdale.
Almac Group received help from The Governor’s Action Team, which coordinated the project. The team is a group of economic development professionals who report to the governor and are focused on working with businesses to help them expand and grow. The team collaborated on the project with the state Department of Community & Economic Development’s Office of International Business Development.
Almac Group received a funding proposal for the project from the state DCED, a $1.6 million Pennsylvania First Program grant.
“Almac has an established presence in both Souderton and Lansdale, and with that a highly skilled workforce and local suppliers,” said Alan Armstrong, chairman and CEO of Almac Group, in a statement. “The Almac Group board, in making their decisions on where expansions will take place, looks across a number of factors, examples including access to skills, local infrastructure, local regulatory environment and any potential local incentives that may be available.”
