ST. LOUIS, MO—The Missouri Department of Economic Development today announced that AAIPharma Services Corp. / Cambridge Major Laboratories, Inc., (AAI/CML) will invest $10.7 million in area operations to move its St. Louis headquarters to a new location in the Cortex Innovation Community and add 30 jobs in the next five years. This will bring the full-time head count to about 110 locally.
“This is yet another truly global bioscience company choosing Missouri for its strategic growth,” said Mike Downing, director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. “As the Cortex Innovation Community grows, it continues to gain that much more gravity to attract further investment and job creation.”
AAI/CML joins a long list of more than 160 resident companies that are part of the Cortex Innovation Community. The community is a vibrant innovation hub and technology district that has led to $350 million in investment and generated 2,500 technology-related jobs since its inception in 2002.
AAI/CML provides innovative analytical testing solutions for manufacturers’ new drug entities, generic drugs, animal health products, medicated consumer health products, chemicals and biopharmaceuticals. Its analytical testing business is comprised of three centers of excellence located in St. Louis, Missouri; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Edison, New Jersey, to serve its regional, national and global customers.
The current St. Louis facility employs about 80 full-time staff and specializes in chemical and microbiological analytical testing including raw material testing, drug product release, stability, and environmental monitoring for both sterile and non-sterile drugs.
The new facility is a response to increased customer demand and the growing trend of analytical testing outsourcing within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. It will house state-of-the-art of equipment in addition to its existing service offerings and will provide new testing capabilities to meet industry and changing regulatory requirements, such as glass and plastic containers testing for pharmaceutical use, elemental impurities, disinfectant qualification and efficacy studies.
“This expansion comes at a critical time in our company’s growth,” said Stephan Kutzer, CEO, president and chairman of AAI/CML. “We expect to invest $10.7 million in capital over the next 12 to 18 months to build and outfit our new analytical testing facility, and we are very excited to be working with Cortex and the Governor’s office to provide jobs for the greater St. Louis area.”
The company will begin hiring immediately and will make the move in the fourth quarter of 2016. AAI/CML will maintain operations at the existing facility to ensure a proper transition in parallel to the opening of the new facility.
AAIPharma Services Corp., joined with Cambridge Major Laboratories, Inc., in 2013 to form a fully-integrated custom development and manufacturing organization. The company is now a leading provider of custom manufacturing and development services for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, with nearly 1,000 worldwide employees operating out of seven sites in the U.S. and Europe.
“We are excited to partner with AAIPharma / Cambridge Major Labs in the expansion of its pharmaceutical services business in the Midwest,” said Dennis Lower, president and CEO of the Cortex Innovation Community. “AAIPharma / Cambridge Major Labs’ expertise in analytical drug development services will be a great addition to our community of bioscience startups, as well as support for university faculty and researchers.”
A high concentration of scientists call St. Louis home, and AAI/CML will tap the St. Louis region’s world-class science talent to fill the new jobs, which are in disciplines such as chemistry, microbiology and biology.
“AAIPharma / Cambridge Major Labs’ continued investment is a testament to the strong growth throughout the St. Louis region,” said Joe Reagan, St. Louis Regional Chamber president and CEO. “It is also a great example of how our highly-skilled workforce and competitive business environment enables our region’s bioscience sector to compete against leading markets across the country. We are delighted to support AAIPharma / Cambridge Major Labs’s vision and at the same time champion an even better tomorrow for our region.”
To assist AAI/CML with its growth, DED has offered a strategic economic incentive package that the company can receive if it meets strict job creation criteria. Missouri Partnership and Cortex Innovation Community were key partners on the project.