Citing a positive experience when relocating its headquarters to Parsippany, Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced Monday the company will open a new global research and development center in North Brunswick with the help of the Economic Development Authority.
The company signed a 32,000-square-foot lease in the EDA’s Technology Centre of New Jersey, and will immediately begin updating part of the space using a $4.5 million investment. The company anticipates hiring 50 new employees when the R&D center opens later this spring.
“We have been thrilled with the reception we have gotten here in New Jersey,” said Charles Mayr, Watson’s vice president of corporate affairs. “We have found throughout the process, going back to relocating the corporate headquarters here, is that New Jersey has been very responsive and has worked very hard to make it possible for businesses to invest and expand in the state.”
“We kept an open line of communication with them, so when it came to analyzing where they wanted to move with their R&D facility, we had a good working relationship with them already,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno. “We competed with California and New York for the new facility, and we beat them out.”
“Today’s announcement represents another win in one of our six key industries for growth, and is a fabulous opportunity for us to highlight that New Jersey is still the medicine chest of the world, and that companies like Watson are investing,” Guadagno added.
Guadagno said, in addition to the benefits of being the EDA’s Technology Centre, Watson will also receive a $1.9 million Business Employment Incentive Program grant once the first employees are hired.
Mayr said the proximity to Rutgers University and other pharmaceutical facilities made the tech center an ideal location for the company to focus on new generic pharmaceutical technology, including inhalation technology and respiratory products. Mayr also cited the large pharma talent pool as a benefit to the North Brunswick campus.
