Merck announced the start of construction for a $3 billion, 400,000-square-foot pharmaceutical manufacturing facility at its Elkton, Virginia, site.

The expansion celebrated builds on Merck’s nearly 85-year history in Elkton, Virginia, enhancing the site with a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical Center of Excellence that will include both Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient and Drug Product investment supporting small molecule manufacturing and testing and will potentially create more than 500 full-time roles as well as 8,000 construction jobs.

Merck’s investment in the Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing is part of a more than $70 billion investment beginning in 2025 to expand domestic manufacturing and research and development. “This investment helps advance our goal of providing new, innovative treatment options for people facing serious health challenges in the U.S. and around the world,” said Robert Davis, chairman and chief executive officer, Merck.