Biotechs hunt for manufacturing space

As Snohomish County’s economic development officials try to make the case that this is a good area for more biotech manufacturing facilities, the Boston Globe reported today that firms on the East Coast are scouting more places to put such factories. Here’s the story, http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/03/12/biotech_firms_seek_space_for_manufacturing/.

To be sure, however, such drug plants are considered big prizes, and states are upping the ante to attract them.

Key quote: “Bidding between states for such facilities has become heated in recent years. Last year, competing for a $660 million biotech drug factory to be built by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Massachusetts beat out North Carolina, Rhode Island, and New York by offering more than $60 million in tax credits and construction money.”

By law, Washington state and localities are limited in what incentives they can offer to biotech and drug companies. Berlex chose Lynnwood to build its $70 million biotech plant, but company officials have said in the past they didn’t choose this area because of any incentives or anything. Here’s a 2004 story I wrote about Berlex’s decision to locate here, http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/04/07/05/bus_berlex001.cfm.