Eli Lilly to invest $2.1 billion in new Boone County manufacturing sites

BOONE COUNTY — Eli Lilly and Company says it plans to invest $2.1 billion in two new manufacturing sites in Boone County.

The company says the proposed project is expected to create 500 new internal roles and about 1,500 construction jobs. Each new Lilly position is expected to create four indirect jobs, based on industry data, according to a news release.

The facilities, which will be at Indiana's LEAP Lebanon Innovation and Research District, will "expand the company's manufacturing network for active ingredients and new therapeutic modalities, including gene medicines," the release states.

Lilly Chair and CEO Dave Ricks made the announcement Wednesday during a press conference at the Indiana State Capitol with Gov. Eric Holcomb.

“More than 146 years after our founding, Lilly remains committed to investing and innovating in Indiana,” Ricks said in a written statement. "These new sites will add capacity in support of our growing pipeline of innovative medicines, while also creating more high-tech jobs for Hoosiers. We are pleased to be a founding investor at the LEAP Lebanon Innovation District."

Lilly most recent expansion included investment in research and manufacturing in and around Indianapolis, according to the release. They totaled more than $2.5 billion over five years and have brought the number of manufacturing employees in
the state to more than 3,700.

“Lilly has been an anchor in Indiana’s economy for generations, and this announcement means they will continue to be here for generations," Holcomb said in a statement. “I am incredibly proud Lilly continues to make exciting investments in Indiana that will better the lives and opportunities of Hoosiers for decades to come. And in turn, the very research and pharmaceutical manufacturing spearheaded here in our state will improve lives worldwide.”

The project relies on local zoning and annexation approvals. Lilly is partnering with organizations including the Indiana Economic Development Corporation on the project.