Genentech, part of the Roche Group, is building a new manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina, US, to support the production of its future portfolio of metabolic medicines including advanced therapies targeting obesity.
This facility will be Genentech’s inaugural manufacturing site on the US East Coast.
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The company announced the development of the facility in May 2025 with an investment exceeding $700m, following which construction commenced in August 2025.
In January 2026, Genentech increased its investment in the Holly Springs site to approximately $2bn to boost production.
The development forms part of a broader $50bn initiative by Roche to expand manufacturing operations, infrastructure, and research and development (R&D) activities across the US.
The project also supports federal efforts to bolster domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and lessen dependence on production overseas.
The new facility is expected to create 1,500 jobs during construction and become operational by 2029.
Upon commencing operations, the project is expected to support more than 500 high-wage manufacturing positions for individuals with a range of skills and educational backgrounds.
The average annual salary for these new roles is estimated at $119,833, compared to the current average annual wage of $76,643 in the region.
Location
Genentech’s new facility is being developed on a 100-acre site in Holly Springs in Wake County, with provisions for future expansion.
The company selected Holly Springs due to the region’s reputation as a centre for biopharmaceutical innovation, supported by a skilled workforce, established academic institutions and proximity to leading life sciences companies in the Raleigh-Durham area.
Holly Springs has emerged as a preferred location for the life sciences sector in North Carolina, benefitting from strategic planning designed to attract and support industry growth.
Several major companies including CSL Seqirus, FUJIFILM Biotechnologies and Amgen have already made substantial investments in the area.
The Genentech site will be located a short distance from Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies’ cell culture manufacturing facility.
Genentech new manufacturing facility details
Genentech’s new manufacturing facility will span 700,000ft2 (65,032m2) and is designed to incorporate modern biomanufacturing technologies, alongside advanced automation and digital systems.
It will support the production of Genentech’s next-generation cardiovascular, renal and metabolic medicines to help treat patients with serious and life-threatening medical conditions, including obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
The site is intended to expand production capacity within Genentech’s manufacturing network and strengthen supply chain resilience through a high-volume, efficient and sustainable operational model.
Financing details
Wake County has announced an incentive of $19.7m for the project, while the Town of Holly Springs is providing an incentive of $13.7m.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Economic Investment Committee approved a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) for the project, providing a performance-based, discretionary incentive valued at $9.8m, for 12 years, subject to the creation of 420 jobs.
Over the 12-year duration of the grant, the project is expected to contribute more than $3bn to the state’s economy.
Further incentives include $756,000 from the North Carolina Community College System and $827,400 from the Department of Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions.
Genentech Holly Springs project partners and contractors
The North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBiotech) engaged with various state and local partners to assist with site selection and to facilitate connections to life sciences industry networks and workforce development resources across North Carolina.
NCBiotech worked alongside the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Wake County Economic Development, a programme of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Holly Springs, Wake Tech Community College, North Carolina State University, the Wake County Government and Duke Energy.
Enbridge Gas is supporting the project by providing a continuous, round-the-clock natural gas supply.
SouthernCross Construction, a company based in North Carolina, is part of the team working on constructing the new facility.
Marketing commentary on Genentech
Headquartered in south San Francisco, US, Genentech’s main areas of focus include oncology, neuroscience and ophthalmology.
Established in 1976, Genentech employs more than 13,500 people globally and maintains 785,000ft2 of research space.
The company holds more than 20,000 patents, has over 40 medicines available on the market and has received 39 FDA breakthrough therapy designations. Early milestones include the development of synthetic insulin and the first targeted antibody therapy for cancer.
Roche and Genentech’s current operations in the US include 13 manufacturing facilities and 15 R&D sites within the pharmaceutical and diagnostics divisions, with a workforce of 25,000 across 24 locations in eight states.
