BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Abbott plans to build a new $536 million formula-production facility in Bowling Green, company officials and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday.
The project is expected to create 450 new jobs, according to an announcement from JobsOhio, the state's nonprofit economic development agency.
"We are so excited to welcome Abbott to the Bowling Green community," Mayor Mike Aspacher said. This has been a long effort. Our team has been working on this for a very, very long time."
The Abbott facility will produce specialty and metabolic powder nutritional products, expanding the available domestically-produced supply of these formulas, some of which are necessary for people with dietary and metabolic conditions or food allergies, according to a news release.
"Job creation is key to a community's growth, so we are thrilled about that investment," Executive Director of Bowling Green Economic Development Kati Thompson said. "In addition to that, we're thrilled that this is a real diversification in the industries we already have here in Bowling Green, and in northwest Ohio in general."
The facility is also making payments to the Bowling Green City School district as part of its tax abatement agreement, something School Board President Jill Carr said will be beneficial to the district.
"The kind of work that we will do together will bring resources to the school district that we need so badly," Carr said. "This is just like a big Christmas present today. It really is. It's just wonderful. I can't say enough good things about this."
The project is contingent on the approval of unspecified state and local incentives, according to the JobsOhio statement.
Groundbreaking for the facility is expected to take place in 2023 and construction is expected to complete in 2026, the statement said.
“We’re building this plant for additional capacity to produce these important specialty and metabolic formulas that families rely on,” Robert B. Ford, chairman and chief executive officer of Abbott, said.
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