Gov. Evers, WEDC Celebrate Catalent’s $45 Million Expansion, Adding to the State’s Booming Biohealth Sector

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), today joined Catalent leaders and officials to celebrate the company’s recent announcement of an estimated $45 million investment to expand their facilities and purchase new equipment for its production facility in Madison, which has created approximately 200 new highly skilled jobs.

During today’s event, Gov. Evers announced that the Evers Administration, through WEDC, is supporting Catalent’s expansion by authorizing up to $2 million in performance-based business development tax credits. The actual amount of tax credits received is contingent upon the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment during that period.

“Catalent is a perfect example of how our world-class workforce, our outstanding educational institutions, and our culture of innovation all fit together to make Wisconsin a leader in the field of biohealth and biopharmaceuticals,” said Gov. Evers. “This announcement is an incredible win for local folks and families, this vital industry, and our state as a whole, and I look forward to seeing how this development will continue to take shape in the months ahead.”

Catalent is a global leader in enabling its pharmaceutical, biotech, and consumer health partners to optimize product development, launch, and full life-cycle supply for patients around the world. The company supplies billions of doses of life-enhancing and life-saving treatments for patients annually.

“Catalent’s continued growth in Madison is not only good news for the company, but for the entire state,” said WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes. “The company knows it can find the skilled workforce they need while the state continues to expand its lead as a powerhouse in the field of biohealth.”

Catalent’s Madison facility provides development, manufacturing, and analytical services for new biological therapies. The Madison facility also houses the company’s proprietary GPEx® Lightning cell line technology, which is used to create high-yielding mammalian cell lines that are genetically modified to create large quantities of a desired protein. The facility features state-of-the-art development and manufacturing labs for flexible pre-clinical, clinical, and commercial production of biologics from 50- to 4,000-liter scale.

“We are proud to expand our operations in Wisconsin, a growing hub for innovation and collaboration, enabling us to advance the important work we do for pharma and biotech customers and the patients they serve,” said Catalent Group President of Biologics David McErlane. “We have enjoyed a supportive business environment and access to skilled talent in Madison, and we look forward to Catalent’s continued presence and growth in Wisconsin.”

This is the fourth time the state has assisted Catalent’s growth in Wisconsin. Previous awards include nearly $1 million in tax credits for job creation and worker training in fiscal year (FY) 2011, plus $1 million in credits in FY 2017 for a $33 million expansion that created nearly 400 jobs. Governor Evers’ administration awarded $1.3 million in tax credits for a $75 million expansion project in FY 2019 that has created more than 210 jobs.

Catalent leaders said that the state’s reputation as a national leader in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and its skilled workforce played a key role in their decision to expand, as well as Wisconsin’s designation last year as a Regional Technology Hub by the U.S. Economic Development Administration.

Last year, Gov. Evers and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) announced that Wisconsin was officially selected as a U.S. Regional Tech Hub by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), unlocking $49 million to grow the state’s personalized medicine and biohealth sector, including advancing research and innovation, growing the state’s economy and creating jobs, and boosting American competitiveness in a cutting-edge industry. The coveted designation will allow Wisconsin’s consortium of 18 public and private partners organized by the Evers Administration through WEDC to boost research and expand lab space, increase coordination and collaboration, improve access to capital to start and grow businesses, and further build out the personalized medicine and biohealth technology sector.

Over the first 10 years, the Tech Hub designation is projected to create more than 30,000 jobs in the personalized medicine sector and over 111,000 indirect jobs attributable to the Tech Hub in Wisconsin. Additionally, the Tech Hub is projected to create $9 billion worth of economic development in Wisconsin within the first decade.

More information about the EDA’s Tech Hubs program is available here.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.