Pharmaceutical Company Announces 750-Job Factory Expansion in Wisconsin

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company Thursday announced a $3 billion expansion at its recently acquired manufacturing facility in Kenosha County.

The company purchased the Pleasant Prairie facility from Nexus Pharmaceuticals earlier this year. On Thursday, company leaders said they plan to hire 750 people to work at the expanded facility.

“This is our largest U.S. manufacturing investment outside of our home state of Indiana, and we can’t wait to get started,” David Ricks, the company’s chair and chief executive, said at an event Thursday announcing the expansion.

The company is known for making injectable drugs like Mounjaro and Zepbound that are prescribed for diabetes and weight loss. Ricks said those drugs will be made in Kenosha County. Sales of weight loss drugs have exploded over the last year, making it tough for manufacturers to keep up with demand.

Construction at the Kenosha County facility is set to start next year. A spokesperson for the company said they plan to start producing drugs at the expanded facility in 2028.

Ricks said the site will focus on “injectable medicines, device assembly and then packaging those medicines across many therapeutic areas.”

“This new investment will enhance our domestic production capabilities, really part of a major reshoring of manufacturing supply chains, including in the pharmaceutical industry,” Ricks said.

He said jobs at the site will include “operators, technicians, engineers and scientists,” calling the facility a “cutting edge high tech manufacturing site.”

The announcement was made at a warehouse the company recently purchased in the Village of Bristol as part of its plans. A report from the Milwaukee Business Journal said the company bought the warehouse and adjacent vacant parcels.

“The acquisition, expansion, and additional purchases of land and the adjacent warehouse bring Lilly’s total planned investment in Wisconsin to $4 billion,” a statement from the company said.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers praised the investment in the community.

“This partnership with Lily and their multi-billion dollar commitment to invest in our state and our community holds incredible promise for the future,” Evers said.

Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman also called the announcement a “historic moment” for the county.

Gov. Evers declined to comment on any possible tax incentives offered to the company as part of the expansion.

In an email, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation wrote the agency “does not comment on any discussions it may or may not be having with a company, unless and until there is a signed contract.”

Listen to the WPR report

Eli Lilly and Company announces $3B expansion at Kenosha County manufacturing facility  was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.