Lehigh Times

Last week, Gov. Tom Wolf (D-PA) announced that the Almac Group will be expanding its facility in Souderton, bringing 355 new jobs to Montgomery County.

According to a release by Wolf on June 30, this project will involve adding 100,000 square feet to the North American headquarters in Souderton that already stands at 246,000 square feet. There will also be upgrades to sites Audubon and Lansdale, as well, which is due to an increase in client demand. For more than 20 years the company has been in Pennsylvania and has had its North American headquarters in Souderton since 2011.

“It’s truly a testament to what our commonwealth has to offer, when an internationally successful company like the Almac Group chooses to expand its North American headquarters here in Pennsylvania,” said Wolf. “This is the company’s second expansion during my administration, and I think our pro-business climate has a great deal to do with that. Pennsylvania is a great choice for companies looking to set up shop or businesses already located here who want to grow and thrive for years to come.”

The Almac Group is a global contract pharmaceutical development and manufacturing company based in Northern Island that manufactures, develops and distributes essential medicines worldwide. This past fiscal year the company helped develop 300 lifesaving drugs in more than 20 therapeutic fields such as oncology, immunology, neurology, cardiology and gender therapy.

“We are delighted to mark this next milestone of our future in Montgomery County,” said Alan Armstrong, Almac Group chairman and chief executive. “We look forward to welcoming over 350 new employees, who will be an essential part of our continued success over the next three years. Almac Group’s mission is to advance human health, and we are committed to re-investing all of our profits back into the business to ensure we are market leading for our clients and patients and offer the best possible work environment for our people.”   

Almac Group received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development of $1.775 through the Pennsylvania First grant. It also received a workforce development grant for $250,000 and was encouraged to apply for the Manufacturing Tax Credit and Research and Development Tax Credit programs.

“Almac’s exciting new phase of growth in Montgomery County is a testament to the excellent workforce and exceptional quality of life our communities offer,” said David Zellers, Jr., director of commerce, Montgomery County Commerce Department. “Everyone on the Montco team is appreciative of our partnership with GAT and DCED; working together county and state economic development leaders make for a winning team to keep investment and growth happening to the benefit all of Pennsylvanians.”

This is the second Almac Group expansion project since Wolf has been in office. The first came in November 2016, and both projects were coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team, which is made up of economic development professionals that work with the governor and businesses expanding or considering locating in Pennsylvania.

“This GAT project represents a huge capital investment – one of the largest in Montgomery County in recent years,” said DCED Acting Secretary Neil Weaver. “DCED is proud to invest in the Almac Group’s headquarters expansion and the good paying jobs that are being created and retained here in Pennsylvania.”

Gov. Wolf has invested $17.5 billion over seven years through GAT, leading to 416 completed projects, the creation of 46,537 jobs and retaining 140,577 more jobs.