The South Carolina Department of Commerce and Florence County Economic Development Partnership recently celebrated the completion of a $60-million plant expansion at Roche’s Florence facility. The dedication ceremony at Roche Carolina was attended by over 200 local stakeholders and Roche employees. Among the special guests in attendance was William M. Burns, the CEO of the Pharmaceutical Division of Roche. The expansion has allowed the company to double the facility’s manufacturing capacity. Roche Carolina employs more than 300 people at its Florence County operations.
“The decision to make this expansion investment in Florence reflects positively on our past achievements while the successful completion and startup of this production facility demonstrates the high quality of the workforce in the area. Both of these speak well about the business climate in Florence,” said Dr. Hans Groeger, Site Head Roche Carolina.
“Roche is one of the world’s largest healthcare companies and a leader in research-focused healthcare with strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche Carolina has been an important part of South Carolina’s business community for a number of years and the company’s decision to further expand its Florence operations signifies a continued commitment to our state. Today’s ceremony is also a reminder that our focus to enhance and maintain a business-friendly environment is working to attract new investment and encourage growth among our existing businesses. Thanks to the team effort of state and local officials, Florence County will benefit from this investment now and in the future,” said Joe Taylor, Secretary of Commerce.
“Roche’s expansion demonstrates their commitment to Florence County and dedication to help Florence continue to grow and prosper economically,” stated Florence County Council Chairman K.G. “Rusty” Smith. “I am delighted that yet another existing business is reinvesting and expanding in our county.”
“As a major player in the worldwide pharmaceutical industry, we are excited Roche chose to expand their roots in our region. Roche has been an incredible corporate citizen for many years; they consistently assist us in the recruiting of new industries to the area by selling the Florence community as a great place to do business,” said Dr. Charles Gould, Florence County Economic Development Partnership chairman.
Roche Carolina Inc. is a strategic process development and manufacturing facility in the pharmaceutical division of its parent company, Roche. Based in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is a leading healthcare company with a broad spectrum of products and services. The company has been discovering and providing healthcare products to the world for more than 100 years.
