By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Boehringer Ingelheim has announced an expansion of its St. Joseph facility, a cutting-edge research and development laboratory.
Boehringer Vice President, U.S. Global Innovation, Caroline Belmont, says the new lab will bring innovation to the manufacturing of animal health products in St. Joseph and through other Boehringer facilities.
“This is really a commitment to innovation and to the future of this company as a whole across the world,” Belmont tells a group gathered at Boehringer in St. Joseph. “It really does upgrade what we have, significantly and it really probably will revolutionize some of the products and the future and the research and development activities that we are focusing on in the future.”
Boehringer has invested $82 million in the St. Joseph facility since 2022.
Belmont calls this lab unique.
“It’s the only one of its kind in the U.S. and it’s designed really to streamline the process which transitions products from a research and development phase to a manufacturing scale,” Belmont says.
Kansas City Animal Health Corridor President, Kimberly Young, says this expansion only enhances the reputation of the corridor which stretches from Columbia, Missouri to Manhattan, Kansas.
“This facility underscores BI’s dedication to leading in research, development, and manufacturing,” Young says.
The state-of-the-art lab will revolutionize the development of future products, including biotherapeutics.
“It’s a new area for us. We’ve got lots of exciting innovation there,” Belmont says. “So, this facility is going to play a pivotal role in our future for our innovation organizations and for Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health as a whole.”
Belmont says the St. Joseph plant continues to be a major player for the company.
“The St. Joseph facility is a really crucial hub for our global animal health industry and for the company and, of course, has that rich agricultural heritage and extensive livestock farming support that we have here, too.”
Boehringer Ingelheim employs approximately 850 workers at its St. Joseph facility.
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