A Japanese pharmaceutical company on Monday unveiled its $140 million expansion in Glenview that Gov. Pat Quinn stressed will create 150 new high-tech jobs.
Astellas Pharma US, Inc., opened two seven-story buildings off Interstate 294 and Willow Road, making the Chicago suburb its North American base. More than 1,000 employees already have relocated to the new headquarters.
"We are committed to establishing Illinois as a leading hub of life sciences, and our work is paying off," Quinn said in a statement, touting his plan to boost jobs in Illinois employment.
To bolster the company's investment, Quinn said the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity provided an investment package of $4 million in corporate income tax credits and job training funds.
The tax credits are contingent on job creation, Quinn said, and if the company does not meet its 150-employee job creation commitments, it will no longer be eligible.
"The new buildings are a result of that collaboration and our confidence that Illinois is a good place to do business," said Masao Yoshida, president and CEO of Astellas Pharma US, Inc.
DCEO Acting Director David Vaught said the expansion will not only create more jobs in Illinois, but also will bolster the region's influence in the life of the science field.
“Illinois has a wealth of research labs and universities to support Astellas as the Japanese drug-maker expands globally,” Vaught said.
