Germantown life sciences company expands R&D manufacturing facility to accommodate growth of testing products for COVID 19 and other diseases
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND (December 11, 2020) — QIAGEN North American Holdings, the American division of the global life sciences company that is a leader in providing molecular sample and assay technologies, is expanding its United States headquarters and research and development manufacturing facility, as well as leasing additional space in the area.
QIAGEN plans to renovate its 146,000-square foot manufacturing facility in Germantown to accommodate expanded production of testing products for COVID-19 and other diseases. As part of the expansion, the company has already added around 80 contracted staff and invested over $7 million in building renovations and equipment. QIAGEN is planning to further increase investments and to add additional jobs to its current more than 300 employees over the next five years.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, QIAGEN provides sample to insight solutions that help to achieve scientific breakthroughs and improve healthcare to more than 500,000 customers around the world. The company recently added several new products to make COVID-19 testing quicker and more efficient. QIAGEN employs more than 5,300 people in over 35 locations worldwide.
“Montgomery County and Maryland continue to be wonderful to work with,” said Sean D. Augerson, vice president and head of operations Americas and Asia Pacific. “We needed assistance in moving forward quickly with clean room construction and getting equipment in, and they gave us that ability. We are delighted to continue expanding our presence here in Germantown.”
Since April, QIAGEN has provided the Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) with the reagent kits necessary for it to scale up its Large-Scale COVID-19 Testing Program. QIAGEN leveraged its pre-existing relationship with IGS to quickly understand and meet the needs of Maryland’s testing community. IGS and the UMSOM Department of Pathology now analyze thousands of tests daily.
“We are proud to support the important work that QIAGEN is doing right here in Maryland to help in the fight against COVID-19,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “For more than two decades, QIAGEN has been growing and adding jobs in our state, and we are excited that they are continuing to invest here and applaud their contributions to help address this global pandemic.”
“QIAGEN has a 20-year history of producing diagnostic tests in Germantown and contributing to the full spectrum of life science capabilities we have in Montgomery County,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “This company evaluated its options across its global footprint, and we are so pleased that it recognized that our quality workforce and proximity to FDA made this the ideal expansion site.”
"We’re proud that global life science leader QIAGEN, with 35 subsidiaries in over 25 countries, has chosen to expand in Montgomery County and create more of the high skill jobs that help fuel our economy,” said Montgomery County Council President Tom Hucker.
“QIAGEN has been an outstanding member of Maryland’s life sciences community and we are very happy that they are planning to expand and create new jobs,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly M. Schulz. “QIAGEN, along with dozens of other Maryland companies, is on the front lines in the battle against COVID-19 and the state, along with our partners in Montgomery County, give our full support to this project.”
“The infectious disease work that QIAGEN is doing in Germantown has made them a key global player in the production of molecular testing kits and the development of epidemic responses,” said Benjamin H. Wu, president & CEO of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC). “QIAGEN’s expansion reinforces Montgomery County’s strength as the immunology capital next to the nation’s capital.”
