Astellas, a Tokyo-based pharmaceutical firm, opened its new corporate headquarters for the Americas in Glenview, Illinois. The company is investing approximately $140 million in the state as part of its expansion which includes two seven-story buildings that total 446,000 square feet—an increase of more than 160,000 square feet.
The buildings and site emphasize sustainability, and the complex is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification. The company’s more than 1,000 employees recently relocated to the new headquarters, and the expansion includes the addition of 150 high-tech jobs.
“At Astellas, we measure success not only by bringing innovative pharmaceuticals to patients and physicians, but also by our commitment to the communities in which we work,” said Masao Yoshida, President and CEO of Astellas Pharma US, Inc.
As part of his agenda to boost job growth across Illinois, Gov. Pat Quinn met with the corporation’s leadership while on a trade mission last year to Japan and China.
“We are committed to establishing Illinois as a leading hub of life sciences, and our work is paying off,” Governor Quinn said. “Illinois has some of the best research and intellectual capital in the world, and these assets help us attract and support the growth of high-potential companies like Astellas in Illinois.”
The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is providing a strategic investment package of approximately $4 million in Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) corporate income tax credits and Employer Training Investment Program (ETIP) job training funds. ETIP credits will help Astellas enhance the skills of its workforce while EDGE credits are based and contingent on job creation. If the company does not meet its job creation targets and commitments, they will no longer be eligible for the tax credits.
