Two companies expanding operations in Louisville

DNA sequencing firm, magnet manufacturing facility both mean jobs of the future

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WTVQ) – Two companies whose work is at the forefront of next-generation  job.

Gov. Andy Beshear congratulated Eurofins Genomics LLC, an international provider of DNA sequencing services, on the company’s plans to expand its presence in Louisville with a new manufacturing facility to supply reagents used for virus detection. The company will invest over $35.7 million for the new operation.

“I am pleased to see Kentucky companies continue to do their part as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic,” Gov. Beshear said. “This investment by Eurofins Genomics will directly boost testing capabilities while also setting the company up for future growth and job creation in our state. I appreciate this commitment by leaders at Eurofins and hope to see the company continue to grow in the years ahead.”

Eurofins will construct a 65,000-square-foot facility in Blankenbaker Station Business Park across from its existing location. The new facility will house the company’s manufacturing, research and administrative operations. The facility will produce oligonucleotides – or oligos – which are synthetic DNA used in molecular diagnostic applications. Oligos are critical for the detection of viruses and are used in PCR-based COVID-19 tests and a variety of other diagnostic applications.

The new facility will increase domestic production of oligo and reduce lead times to help support a market vulnerable to supply shortages. Production will support the company’s current partnerships with the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Construction is expected to begin in April and be completed by Q2 2023.

Kentucky’s ideal geographic location and expansive distribution and logistics presence will enable Eurofins to enact fast and reliable distribution of these key reagents throughout the country to help mitigate supply chain issues and support domestic COVID-19 testing.

“The new facility will increase domestic production of oligos to combat current and future pandemics and empower a broader range of research in the molecular diagnostic field,” said Sumit Gupta, president of Eurofins Genomics.

Louisville-based Eurofins Genomics is a life science company that provides genomic products and services to medical, environmental and agricultural partners with locations in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The company is a subsidiary of Luxembourg-based Eurofins Scientific, which was founded in 1981 and employs 55,000 people in over 900 laboratories across 50 countries.

Meanwhile, Quadrant will build a new $95 million-plus rare-earth magnet manufacturing operation in Louisville, its first mass production facility in the U.S., which will create 200 full-time jobs for Kentuckians.

“As electric vehicle production continues to ramp up across the automotive sector, we will continue to see growth of EV-related companies in the commonwealth,” Beshear said. “This investment and job creation will position Quadrant to capitalize on a burgeoning market, and I am thrilled to welcome the company’s growth in Kentucky.”

Quadrant, which has operated an engineering, machining and assembly hub in Louisville since 2001, will construct a 171,000-square-foot, rare-earth magnet manufacturing operation. It will be the company’s first production facility in the U.S. The new location builds on the company’s goal to build a world-class magnetics, manufacturing and research campus and positions the company and community as leaders in attracting a critical and innovative industry back to the U.S.

Rare-earth magnets are a type of permanent magnet made from alloys of rare-earth elements produced by Quadrant for use in electric vehicle motors and other automotive applications, consumer electronics, and within the medical, alternative energy and appliance industries, among others.

The construction of this state-of-the-art manufacturing campus, known as Project NeoGrass by Quadrant leaders, positions the industry for further growth in the U.S.

“We believe Project NeoGrass is the blueprint that the magnetics industry and our customers need,” said Michael Brand, president of Quadrant. “It is a revitalization of rare-earth manufacturing and research and development in the U.S.”

Founded in 1992, Quadrant is headquartered in San Diego, California, with operations in the U.S., Australia, China, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam. The company also operates a research, prototyping and testing facility in Silicon Valley. Quadrant works with high-tech companies from concept to mass production of magnet-related products, including material selection, engineering and design services and prototype development.