Pharmaceutical company Roche will embark on a major expansion in Tucson, Arizona, on a facility that houses cancer tissue diagnostic operations. The company will invest $180 million and create 500 jobs at Ventana Medical Systems, a company Roche purchased in 2008.

Roche selected Tucson for the quality of its work force, available real estate and infrastructure, property tax rates, and efficient planning and zoning approvals. The company also considered Indianapolis, Southern California, and Northern New Jersey.

Pima County, the town of Oro Valley, and the state have offered Roche $14 million in incentives, including $8.5 million in property tax waivers, $2 million in stimulus funds, and the waiving of development fees.