CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Afton Scientific broke ground on its new $200 million, 285,000-square foot sterile injectable manufacturing facility on Monday at the company’s Avon Court campus, hailing it as a major development for the company and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“I’m excited to be here for this day. It’s something I’ve thought about for many, many years,” Afton Scientific CEO Tom Thorpe told a crowd that included company employees, and Virginia and Albemarle County officials.  “You have to invest in your technology and you have to invest in your people. If you don’t do that continuously, you will fall behind. And in such a technology laden industry as pharma, that happens abruptly and dramatically.”

The new facility is expected to create 200 new jobs at the company, in addition to the work opportunities that come along with a major construction project.

Thorpe and others noted the construction is part of a trend on pharmaceutical companies investing in Virginia. AstraZeneca is building a $2 billion advanced drug manufacturing site in the county and Eli Lilly is building a $5 billion facility in Goochland County.

“These are long-term commitments that change landscapes, transform economies and save lives,” Thorpe said. “We’re at the final step. We put the label on the medicine that goes to the customer that goes to the patient. It all filters into us and we put it in a vial, in a syringe, label it and give it to the patient.”

Monday afternoon’s ceremony included Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears – the Republican nominee for governor – Secretary of Commerce Juan Pablo Segura, Albemarle County Executive Jeff Richardson, and County Board of Supervisors chairperson Jim Andrews.

“It strengthens our community, but at the same time, it will not compromise what makes Albemarle County special. We’re intentional about attracting investments that align with our community values and our long-term mission,” Richardson said. “Afton is a hometown company and their decision to expand here is powerful statement about the strength of our local work force, about the potential of our business climate and the confidence we have in our employers and our area’s future.”

Gov. Youngkin praised Virginia’s talent accelerator customized workforce development program as a reason companies can set up shop in the Commonwealth. He also noted opportunities at UVA’s Manning Institute of Biotechnology, Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and VCU’s PhD program in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

It all works in concert, Youngkin said, to make Virginia the, “premier destination for life sciences not just in America but in the world.”

And, like Richardson, Andrews said Afton Scientific is a company the county can feel good about partnering with.

“It’s amazing to see how far Afton Scientific has come in 30 years, starting from a small operation to a leader in biotech manufacturing,” Andrews said. “Afton’s story is one Albemarle County is proud of and cheers for.”