Oregon’s officials see Genentech’s presence as integral to the state’s economic future and often cite the 250 jobs already created at the plant. That number is expected to grow to 300 over the next few years.
Meanwhile, Genentech’s management has a much more pragmatic view of why they chose to locate here.
Clark said the search for a new site began in 2003-2005 when introduction of three new products forced the company to increase their manufacturing capacity. A risk assessment drove them to look beyond existing California sites. They didn’t want to do final bottle-fill processing in the middle of a high-risk earthquake zone.
Clark also credited Oregon’s favorable business climate — a surprise given how much criticism the state has received since passage of Measures 66 and 67. He said the economic element of only being taxed once on product production, coupled with the support and encouragement of local and state governments, made the decision to locate in Hillsboro straightforward.
Oregon, though, will probably hold on to the idea that the Genentech plant will ultimately attract other biotechnology firms to the area, even if the company’s expansions remain on its manufacturing side.
When his turn to address the audience came, Sen. Jeff Merkley said, “The future is no longer plastics … the future is biological, a word that was essentially science fiction a few years ago.”
“Many will be touched in the future by this research,” he said, after describing how innovations in the treatment of one disease can lead to new approaches in dealing with others.
