The new owner of a medical manufacturing facility was in North Augusta to formally kick off an expansion and meet with local leaders.
CordenPharma, a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), is planning a more than $200 million expansion of the plant on Dittman Court. It includes a new, 68,000-square-foot building.
“It will bring commercial-scale peptide manufacturing to the United States,” Michael Quirmbach, President & CEO of CordenPharma Group, told the crowd that gathered for the groundbreaking. “With operations planned at the end of 2027, the project will create more than 200 permanent jobs, along with approximately 50 temporary jobs for reconstruction, and include opportunities in manufacturing, engineering, quality, science, operations, and support functions.”
Peptides are amino acids that engage with cells for medical benefits ranging from muscle building to enhanced metabolism and treating chronic conditions including diabetes and osteoporosis. The new facility is for commercial synthesis, flexible SPPS, and large-scale, complex peptide programs.
ABD first reported the planned expansion in June, following an announcement from Gov. Henry McMaster (R). The governor participated in the groundbreaking event.
“This is all common sense to have a company, a great company like this, come to South Carolina makes sense. It’s part of our culture,” he said. “South Carolina is viewed as the intersection of commerce, culture, and conservation.”
McMaster added that part of what draws companies to South Carolina is its strong system of technical colleges to train skilled employees.
“We got a big program. We put millions of dollars into it, and it paid off,” he said. “If you have that in you, we can train you to do whatever they need. We will provide it with our technical college system.”
The governor’s comment resonated with Chad Crumbaker, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Workforce Innovation at Aiken Technical College.
“Oh, it’s huge,” he told ABD. “The investment the state’s making in what we do at the technical college system is amazing. It creates opportunities for programs of all sizes and all future careers, and students are able to take them. And the investment is that they get to do it really at low or no cost, which is amazing.”
Standing with Crumbaker was Dr. Corey Murphy, superintendent of the Aiken County Public School District. The district is currently building a new Career and Technology Center on the Aiken Tech campus.
“I think this actually highlights the real-world connection between what we’re doing and student outcomes because we want to make sure that we’re preparing them for viable careers, viable futures, and these are great jobs,” he said.
North Augusta Mayor Briton Williams said a project of this size is a huge investment for the city of 26,000.
“When AmbioPharm moved into this location in this industrial park, they said, ‘We want to expand. We’re going to invest more money into this location in this industrial park in North Augusta,’ and now CordenPharma has said, ‘We’re going to continue to expand, continue to invest more money into this industrial park in the city of North Augusta.’”
Also attending was State Senator Tom Young (R-District 24), who told ABD this is proof South Carolina is doing the right things to attract more businesses to the Palmetto State, creating jobs for its citizens.
“As one of the speakers for CordenPharma said, we appreciate what South Carolina has done to create a climate that would allow us to come here and invest, and so that’s what we’ve been trying to do: create a climate in South Carolina that not only will attract new investments from outside the state but also allow our existing companies that are here to expand,” he explained.
As part of CordenPharma, AmbioPharma joins a network of 11 sites in Europe and North America. The North Augusta plant will work in conjunction with the CordenPharma operation in Colorado.
The expansion is expected to be completed and in operation by late 2027. Open positions are available at www.ambiopharm.com/careers/
