Area Development
Kite, a global biopharmaceutical company, will establish a new warehouse adjacent to its current facility in the Urbana Corporate Center in Frederick, Maryland. The project is expected to create 100 jobs.

Construction on the 70,000-square-foot Frederick County facility is scheduled to begin this year.

“Additionally, by locating these global operations in Maryland, we can serve both our European and California manufacturing operations in the same day,” said Chris McDonald, SVP & global head of technical operations. “With three major airports in the area, we have increased flexibility in receiving and shipping materials, which is critical for patients who are waiting for our therapies.”

To assist with project costs, the Maryland Department of Commerce has approved a $1.5 million conditional loan through the Advantage Maryland Fund. Also, Kite qualified for Frederick County’s Commercial and Industrial Tax Credit, which is phased in over 10 years. Additionally, the project is approved for Turbo Fast Track Permitting.

The company is also eligible for various state tax credits, including the Job Creation Tax Credit and the More Jobs for Marylanders Tax Credit, which incentivizes manufacturers to create new jobs in the state.

“We are excited that Kite, which first established operations in Maryland nearly four years ago, is now planning this important expansion and expects to have 500 employees in our state by the end of 2026,” noted Governor Larry Hogan. “Maryland remains a recognized leader in the life sciences industry, offering Kite and other global companies a highly-educated workforce, proximity to many federal agencies and labs, and a critical mass of life sciences companies and resources.”

Kite, a Gilead Company, is a global biopharmaceutical company based in Santa Monica, California, focused on cell therapy to treat and potentially cure cancer. The company has the largest in-house cell therapy manufacturing network in the world, spanning process development, vector manufacturing, clinical trial production and commercial product manufacturing.