PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) — AMPAC Fine Chemicals will expand their facility and create over 150 new jobs at their Petersburg site.
AMPAC is a pharmaceutical manufacturer that makes active pharmaceutical ingredients and develops medications with their partners Civica and Phlow.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Governor Ralph Northam said the location on Normandy Drive will serve as a growing campus for AMPAC and other leaders like Civica, Phlow and Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medicine for All Institute.
Jeff Butler, President of AMPAC, said they’re investing upwards of $25 million in their facility on Normandy Drive.
“We really looked at the Virginia site as our growth site,” Butler said. “Once acquiring the site in 2016 and moving forward, we’ve continued to invest in the site.”
The expansion will make way for 156 new positions. Butler says they are looking for “all kinds of talent.” AMPAC plans to hire additional operations workers, chemists, quality control and quality insurance employees as well as engineers.
Butler said they began hiring employees at the end of last year and within the next 18 months, he said the company will have up to 250 workers total.
“We really want people to look back on today and know that this was an inflection in our growth,” Butler said.
Butler explained that the company’s growth will help support the demand for various medicines nationwide.
“This will make Petersburg the cornerstone of a shared vision for American-based pharmaceutical manufacturing,” he said.
Northam addressed the potential impact of the growing facility at the press conference. The governor says it will bring jobs and innovation to Virginia and increase access to essential medications nationwide.
Dr. Frank Gupton, Co-Founder of Phlow Corporation, said this partnership helps to fix a broken healthcare system.
“COVID-19 has shined a light on this and we can’t let that light go out, because this is a problem that will fester again if we don’t deal with it now,” Gupton said.
Dr. Eric Edwards, Co-founder, CEO and President of Phlow Corporation, said they’re reimagining the essential medicine supply chain.
“From chemical to bedside, everything that we do is designed to promote access to affordable, high-quality, essential medicines for all Americans,” Edwards said.
Civica Inc. announced the nonprofit was establishing an in-house pharmaceutical manufacturing operation in Petersburg back in January. Their operation will create 186 jobs.
