Abbott Laboratories will invest $536 million to build a new manufacturing facility in Bowling Green, Ohio, state officials announced this week
The facility will produce specialty and metabolic powder nutritional products, some of which are used by individuals with extreme food allergies or other dietary conditions.
The site will create 450 jobs in the region, officials said in the press release. The project is now awaiting state and local incentive approval and is expected to break ground in 2023, with construction completed in 2026.
“We’re glad Abbott is advancing its future here in Ohio as they bring a cutting-edge facility to Bowling Green that will support job growth and improve the supply chain for critical formula products nationwide,” Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said in the press release. “The addition of this new facility will help to ensure that life-sustaining formulas are available and accessible when needed.”
Abbott made headlines over the past year for the role it played in a nationwide infant formula shortage. The company controls 40% of the infant formula market in the U.S., and was forced to temporarily shut down its largest facility in Sturgis, Michigan, in February following widespread safety issues.
The new Ohio plant will allow Abbott to expand its supply of formulas, Abbott CEO and Chairman Robert B. Ford said in the press release. The company plans to work with experts in food safety, quality and best manufacturing practices to construct the facility.
“We’re building this plant for additional capacity to produce these important specialty and metabolic formulas that families rely on,” Ford said.