Amgen to open Capability Center in Tampa
March 22, 2017
TAMPA, Fla. – (Mar. 22, 2017) – The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation announced today that Amgen, one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, plans to locate a Capability Center in Tampa. The 136,000-square-foot facility will begin operating in October 2017, ultimately adding 450 employees by the end of 2018. The new, highly-skilled positions will support a variety of functions with the delivery of business-enabling services including operational, analytical, staff support and business support activities.
Governor Rick Scott said, “I am proud that 450 new jobs are being created for Tampa families. We will continue to do all we can to grow Florida’s economy by cutting taxes and reducing burdensome regulations.”
Amgen conducted an exhaustive evaluation of U.S. communities for the Capability Center. After visiting the finalist communities, the selection team chose Tampa.
“Amgen is proud to be establishing our new, state-of-the-art Capability Center in Tampa,” said David W. Meline, executive vice president and chief financial officer, Amgen. “We are a Company driven by a single mission—to serve patients—and the services and activities that will happen at the Center are central to enabling this. We look forward to working with the world class talent found in Tampa and being a member of the community.”
Amgen’s new Capability Center will occupy four floors of Corporate Center One, located at 2202 N. Westshore Blvd. in Tampa.
“The fact that Tampa was selected as the location of choice for the Amgen Capability Center is proof of our competitiveness and ability to attract the world’s most innovative companies,” said Mayor Bob Buckhorn, City of Tampa. “Tampa is becoming the preferred destination for highly talented people and companies that want to be a part of this city’s exciting future. Amgen will certainly play a big role in shaping it, and we are thrilled to welcome them.”
A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world’s leading independent biotechnology companies, operating in approximately 100 countries worldwide. Amgen focuses on six therapeutic areas: oncology/hematology, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, bone health, nephrology and neuroscience. Its medicines typically address serious diseases for which the number of effective treatment options is limited, or they are medicines that provide a viable option to what is otherwise available.
“The addition of hundreds of new jobs in the life sciences industry is great news for Hillsborough County, as well as for students interested in pursuing careers in this exciting industry,” said Stacy White, chairman of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. “We thank Amgen for choosing Hillsborough County and look forward to supporting their growth here for decades to come.”
Florida has made tremendous gains over the past decade in its quest to establish itself as a top location for life sciences innovation and industry growth. Today, the state is home to some of the nation’s most highly regarded research centers; more than 1,100 biotech, pharmaceutical and medical devices companies; and a foundation of more than 46,000 healthcare establishments – including 720+ hospitals.
“Amgen is one of the most innovative biotechnology companies in the world, dedicated to developing treatments that address some of the most intractable diseases facing humankind,” said Dr. Ken Atwater, chairman of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation and president of Hillsborough Community College. “Their selection of Tampa and Hillsborough County is a great point of pride and a testament to the hard work begun years ago to recruit globally renowned life science industry companies to this community. Just as Bristol-Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson have found Tampa to be a perfect fit for their organizations, we expect Amgen will enjoy great success here as well.”
Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.
Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people’s lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world’s leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.
