Fresenius AG Plots $250 Million Expansion in Illinois

Expansion of Melrose Park, Illinois Site Will Create State-of-the-Art Urban Manufacturing Campus

LAKE ZURICH, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fresenius Kabi announced today it will invest approximately $250 million over 10 years to expand the company’s Melrose Park site which manufactures generic, sterile injectable pharmaceuticals used in hospitals and clinics throughout the United States. The expansion of the current Melrose Park site into a manufacturing campus is a multi-stage, multi-year project with ground breaking planned for 2017 and final project completion in 2026.

“It represents hundreds of new high-paying construction and highly skilled permanent jobs in our community and underscores my commitment to the continued economic renaissance underway in Melrose Park.”

Fresenius Kabi is a global health care company that specializes in life-saving medicines and technologies for infusion, transfusion and clinical nutrition. The company’s U.S. headquarters is based in Lake Zurich, Illinois. In total, the company employs more than 1,500 people in Illinois.

“We are creating a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical manufacturing campus that will be a showcase for our company and the production of injectable generic medicines,” said Steven R. Nowicki, senior vice president of Global Operations for North America, Pharmaceuticals Division at Fresenius Kabi. Fresenius Kabi operates more than 70 manufacturing sites across the globe and the Melrose Park location will be one of its largest.

The plant today produces a broad range of generic injectable medicines used to treat critically and chronically ill patients. The expansion will create multiple new buildings connected to the existing manufacturing site and will feature fully automated aseptic filling lines using state-of-the-art isolator technology, expanded lyophilization (freeze-drying) capabilities, formulation areas, a dedicated warehouse for raw materials and components and an administration building with conference center, laboratories, office space and cafeteria.

“This project will create many opportunities for our employees, who work around-the-clock to produce life-saving medicines for patients who need them,” Nowicki said. “Our expectation is that the positive effects of this extensive construction project and our continued growth will benefit the people and business community of Melrose Park and Illinois.”

“We are glad Fresenius Kabi has chosen to invest in its Melrose Park location and its employees,” Governor Bruce Rauner said. “Fresenius Kabi is a leader in pharmaceutical manufacturing and its investment reinforces Illinois’ position as a hub for life sciences and biotechnology. This also shows a commitment for supporting high-skilled technical jobs for Illinois residents.”

"We are delighted to be the home of this $250 million investment and major plant expansion by one of our best corporate neighbors," said Melrose Park Mayor Ron Serpico, who spearheaded the intergovernmental approval process for the Fresenius Kabi project. "It represents hundreds of new high-paying construction and highly skilled permanent jobs in our community and underscores my commitment to the continued economic renaissance underway in Melrose Park.”

“Our goal is to expand our U.S. manufacturing capabilities while ensuring continued compliance with increasing regulatory and quality requirements and improve production capacity and efficiency,” Nowicki added. “I’d like to personally thank Mayor Serpico of Melrose Park and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for their support as we developed our plans for this major development project.”

In addition to its Melrose Park locations, Fresenius Kabi has multiple locations in Illinois including Bensenville, Skokie and Lake Zurich. The company also has manufacturing sites in New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania and employs more than 2,500 people in the United States.

About Fresenius Kabi

Fresenius Kabi (www.fresenius-kabi.us) is a global health care company that specializes in lifesaving medicines and technologies for infusion, transfusion and clinical nutrition. The company’s products and services are used to help care for critically and chronically ill patients. The company’s U.S. headquarters is in Lake Zurich, Illinois. The company’s global headquarters is in Bad Homburg, Germany.