Lilly plans $2.1B investment in two new Boone County manufacturing sites

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Company announced plans Wednesday to expand its presence in Indiana with two new manufacturing sites in Boone County.

The pharmaceutical company plans to invest $2.1 billion to develop two facilities in the state’s proposed Boone County Innovation District and create up to 500 new jobs.

Lilly says the two sites will expand its manufacturing network for active ingredients and new therapeutic modalities, such as genetic medicines, and enable the company to strengthen its portfolio of available treatments.

In addition to the 500 full-time jobs Lilly expects to create, the company estimates it will need at least 1,500 construction workers to build the new facilities.

“More than 146 years after our founding, Lilly remains committed to investing and innovating in Indiana,” David A. Ricks, Lilly’s chair and CEO, said. “These new sites will add capacity in support
of our growing pipeline of innovative medicines, while also creating more high-tech jobs for Hoosiers.”

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb says Lilly “has been an anchor in Indiana’s economy for generations” and Wednesday’s announcement means the company will continue to be here long into the future.

“I am incredibly proud Lilly continues to make exciting investments in Indiana that will better the lives and opportunities of Hoosiers for decades to come,” Holcomb said. “And in turn, the very research and pharmaceutical manufacturing spearheaded here in our state will improve lives worldwide.”

The project must receive local zoning and annexation approvals before it can move forward. Those approvals will be considered this summer, according to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.