Consultants Forum Advertise
Subscribe
Close

  • Free for qualified executives and consultants to industry

  • Receive quarterly issues of Area Development Magazine and special market report and directory issues

Subscribe Now
Renew

Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Merck & Co. Expands Elkton, Virginia, Manufacturing Operations

10/28/2025
Multinational pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. plans to expand its operations in Elkton, Virginia. The $3 billion project is expected to create 500 jobs.

The investment will include the construction of a new 400,000-square-foot facility that will serve as the company’s Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Small Molecule Manufacturing.

“Today is an important milestone for Merck, for Virginia, for manufacturing in the United States and, most importantly, for the patients we serve,” said Merck Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert M. Davis. “This investment will help advance our goal of providing new, innovative treatment options for people facing serious health challenges in the U.S. and around the world.”

To support the project Governor Youngkin approved a performance-based grant of $5 million from the Virginia Investment Performance grant, an incentive that encourages continued capital investment by existing Virginia companies, as well as a $4 million grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist Rockingham County with the project.

“With billions of dollars and hundreds of new jobs, Merck is making a transformational investment in Rockingham County,” noted Secretary of Commerce and Trade Juan Pablo Segura. “This investment represents the latest addition to Virginia’s rapidly expanding biopharmaceutical sector, which is driving the future of the Shenandoah Valley and beyond. Thanks to our unparalleled workforce, strategic location, and business-friendly policies, the Commonwealth has become an international leader in pharmaceutical innovation.”

Support for Merck’s job creation will be provided through the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program, ranked the No. 1 Customized Workforce Training Program in the United States by Area Development. The program, created by VEDP in collaboration with higher education partners, provides world-class training and recruitment solutions that are customized to a company’s unique operations, equipment, standards and culture. All program services are provided at no cost to qualified new and expanding companies as an incentive for job creation. To establish a globally recognized biopharmaceutical training system, all training and education, including community colleges and universities, will be aligned with international best practices and standards.

“This announcement by Merck marks a momentous occasion for Rockingham County and the Shenandoah Valley,” added Shenandoah Valley Partnership Executive Director Jay Langston. “Merck’s decades-long legacy of producing innovative pharmaceutical solutions continues with the creation of its new Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Manufacturing. This investment not only strengthens the regional economy through new jobs and capital investment but also positions the Valley at the forefront of a new class of pharmaceutical innovation. We are proud and grateful that Merck is expanding its global footprint right here in the Shenandoah Valley.”

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) worked with Rockingham County and the Shenandoah Valley Partnership to secure this project.

Exclusive Research