Eli Lilly and Company broke ground on a new $5 billion manufacturing facility just west of Richmond, Virginia, in Goochland County, one of 10 new U.S. manufacturing sites announced since 2020 and one of five among them that will produce active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). As part of the company's more than $50 billion push to expand medicine production in the U.S., the Richmond site will be Lilly's first to produce both API and finished medicines in a fully integrated facility, with dedicated API capacity for bioconjugate and large-molecule medicines.
David A. Ricks, Lilly Chair and CEO: "We are developing a new generation of medicines designed to target cancer cells with greater precision, yielding more powerful treatments with potentially fewer side effects. This $5 billion investment means we can make them right here in America. Lilly Richmond will help make sure this innovative science can reach the people who need it."
Building a talent pipeline in Richmond
Making advanced medicines in the U.S. requires a highly skilled workforce. Lilly is building that workforce in Virginia, offering long-term careers where people can grow close to home. Lilly has committed $40 million to support the Virginia Center for Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, a statewide network of industry, government, and higher education partners that will prepare Virginians for those careers. The network will include a pilot-scale, hands-on training center in Goochland County, with a targeted opening in 2028.
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger: "Lilly's investment is a powerful vote of confidence in Virginia, our people, and our ability to compete for the industries and good jobs that will shape our future. Today's groundbreaking marks an exciting milestone in this partnership, and we are proud that Virginia will play an important, durable role in Lilly's continued global growth and innovation."
Lilly is currently hiring in Richmond and expects the new facility to create 650 high-wage jobs like engineers, scientists, operations personnel, and lab technicians – along with approximately 1,800 construction jobs as the site is built and brought online.