Eli Lilly builds huge factory in Wisconsin, creates jobs

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A new economic chapter is unfolding in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly announces a monumental $3 billion investment plan, following a crucial meeting at Mar-a-Lago between President-elect Donald Trump and key pharmaceutical industry leaders.

The high-level gathering, which included Trump’s Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., representatives from Pfizer, and officials from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), alongside Trump’s incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles, focused on reshaping U.S. healthcare priorities, with cancer research reportedly at the forefront.

#BREAKING: Big Pharma company Eli Lilly announces historic $3B expansion of Kenosha, Wisconsin manufacturing facility after meeting with Trump in Mar-a-Lago.

"Today's announcement represents our single largest U.S. manufacturing investment outside our home state of Indiana."… pic.twitter.com/3DD2Cu3s9i

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 5, 2024

The investment represents Eli Lilly’s most significant U.S. manufacturing commitment outside Indiana, promising to transform the region’s economic landscape. The expansion will create 750 high-wage positions while generating over 2,000 construction jobs during development.

“Today’s announcement represents our single largest U.S. manufacturing investment outside our home state of Indiana and will add to our ability to expand capacity to make both our existing and future pipeline of medicines right here in the Midwest,” said Edgardo Hernandez, executive vice president and president of Lilly Manufacturing Operations. “We look forward to bringing high-wage, advanced manufacturing, engineering and science jobs to people in Wisconsin, a state that is becoming a critical geography in our global manufacturing operations.”

The facility will incorporate cutting-edge automation technology, including robotic systems and guided vehicles, to enhance production efficiency. This expansion marks part of Lilly’s broader $23 billion global manufacturing investment initiative launched in 2020.

Lilly to spend $3B to expand Wisconsin factory

Under pressure to keep up with soaring demand for drug treatments for obesity, diabetes and other diseases, Eli Lilly and Co. is planning a $3 billion expansion of a Wisconsin manufacturing plant that it acquired earlier this year.… pic.twitter.com/HDiWwKrX3R

— The Buy American Movement – BuyDirectUSA ❤️🇺🇸 (@BuyDirectUSA) December 7, 2024

“Southeastern Wisconsin has seen tremendous growth over the past year with major companies announcing significant investments in our state, and we are thrilled to add Lilly to that growing list with their $3 billion expansion that will add 750 highly skilled, family-supporting jobs to Kenosha County,” said Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. “As a U.S. Regional Tech Hub, Wisconsin is a national leader in personalized medicine and biohealth, and through this partnership with Lilly, we’re going to keep advancing research and innovation and bolstering Wisconsin’s manufacturing industry, all while supporting workers, families, and patients across our state and around the world.”

The company’s total investment in Wisconsin, including land acquisition and warehouse facilities, amounts to $4 billion. Lilly plans to strengthen its community presence through partnerships with local educational institutions and various regional initiatives.