Baxter Announces Biologics Capacity Expansion

Baxter International Inc. announced it will build a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Georgia to support growth of its plasma-based treatments. These therapies include treatments for immune disorders, trauma and other critical conditions.

Baxter expects capital investments at the Covington, Ga., site to exceed $1 billion over the next five years and to result in the creation of more than 1,500 full-time positions in Georgia and more than 2,000 jobs in total across multiple U.S. locations.

''This investment demonstrates our long-term commitment to patients around the world who rely on our plasma-based therapies,'' said Robert L. Parkinson, Jr., Baxter's chairman and chief executive officer.

Construction will begin this year at the new Covington site, which will include operations supporting plasma fractionation, purification, fill-finish and a testing lab. Commercial production is scheduled to begin in 2018, with the new plasma fractionation facility adding up to three million liters of new capacity annually when fully operational.

The Covington site will have the flexibility and necessary infrastructure to expand further to support additional global market needs.

''We would like to thank Governor Nathan Deal and the many other officials involved in the site selection process, and we look forward to becoming part of the Georgia community,'' said Ludwig Hantson, Ph.D., president of Baxter's BioScience business.

In connection with this investment, the company also expects to create more than two hundred new positions in Illinois, including jobs associated with expanded filling and finishing capacity at its existing manufacturing facility in Round Lake, Ill. The new jobs at the Round Lake facility will support production of FLEXBUMIN, a preparation of plasma-based albumin treatment in a flexible container.