Elanco Animal Health plans new Indianapolis headquarters
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Elanco Animal Health plans to build a new $100 million headquarters in Indianapolis under a deal with state and city officials that the company said Friday would mean adding more than 500 jobs in Indiana.
The headquarters will be built on a portion of a now-vacant General Motors factory site just west of the city's downtown that the city has struggled to fill since the plant was closed in 2011.
Elanco has long ties to the state, having been spun off from Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. in 2018 and headquartered in the central Indiana city of Greenfield. It became the world's second-largest animal health company with a $7.6 billion deal last year to acquire Bayer AG's veterinary medicines business.
Overall, Elanco said it plans on investing more than $300 million in its Indiana operations, which the state said will ensure 'œthe Hoosier state is at the center of its future growth and future consolidation.'ť Elanco will continue its Indiana manufacturing sites in Clinton, Indianapolis and Terre Haute and plans to center its research and development activity in the state.
Elanco, which makes products such as antibiotics and feed additives for livestock and flea and heartworm treatments for pets, said it was committed to retaining the more than 1,600 employees it has in the state and planned to add about 575 Indiana jobs. It didn't specify whether those new positions would be at the Indianapolis headquarters or elsewhere.
Elanco and state officials said they agreed to work together to find a user for the company's Greenfield facilities.
The state will provide 45 acres of the 91-acre site to Elanco for the headquarters, with the state and city having committed $150 million in incentives to the company, according to the Indiana Economic Development Corp.
Several redevelopment plans have failed to advance for vacant land along White River just south of the Indianapolis Zoo since the loss of the GM factory that dated to 1930 and once had 5,000 workers.
'œWhen the facility closed, residents mourned the loss - not just because of the economic impact, but out of concern for the long-term vibrancy of the community,'ť Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said. 'œToday's announcement will mark a new chapter for the neighborhood, spurring greater connectivity beyond the Mile Square and catalyzing transformative development opportunities along the White River and beyond.'ť