INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Mayor Greg
Ballard today joined Roche Diagnostics President and CEO
Jack Phillips as well as other Roche
executives and community leaders to break ground on the company's
new Learning and Development Center. The center is the first
element of a $300 million site
transformation investment that was announced in June 2012. The city of Indianapolis and the Indiana Economic
Development Corporation offered Roche tax abatements, tax credits
and training grants to support Roche's investment.
"Roche's decision to grow and invest in Indianapolis is a testament to our strength as
a life sciences center," said Mayor Ballard, who participated in
the ceremony held on the company's campus near the intersection of
96th Street and Interstate 69. "They've been an important part of
our life sciences heritage for nearly 50 years now, and this
expansion signals an important commitment to the region."
"Central Indiana has been our
home since 1964 and we are here to stay," said Jack Phillips, president and CEO of Roche
Diagnostics, adding that the company's history and growth in the
region is due in part to the community's outstanding workforce and
partnerships with the state and city that have enhanced job
creation.
The company, a leader in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, will
invest $300 million during the next
10 years at its North American headquarters on the northeast side
of Indianapolis. The capital investments will support the
company's growing diagnostics and diabetes care businesses.
The new Learning and Development Center will host the training of
more than 1,500 customers from across the nation each
year.
"It is fitting that the new Learning and Development Center is
the first phase of our site transformation because it reflects our
commitment to always put the customer first," said Phillips.
The ceremony also marked the first public unveiling of the new
building's renderings, which when completed will be one of the most
unique structures in Central Indiana. The center will employ a
distinct architectural style consistent with the company's European
heritage.
"As a key piece of our North American Headquarters, the new
Learning and Development Center will serve as a hub and gateway for
worldwide operations," said Phillips. "We felt that it was
important for the building to reflect our global influence, right
here in Indianapolis."
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel,
Switzerland, Roche is a leader in research-focused
healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and
diagnostics. Roche is the world's largest biotech company with
truly differentiated medicines in oncology, virology, inflammation,
metabolism and CNS. Roche is also the world leader in in-vitro
diagnostics, tissue-based cancer diagnostics and a pioneer in
diabetes management. Roche's personalized healthcare strategy aims
at providing medicines and diagnostic tools that enable tangible
improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of
patients. In 2011, Roche had over 80,000 employees worldwide and
invested over 8 billion Swiss francs
in R&D. The Group posted sales of 42.5
billion Swiss francs. Genentech, United States, is a wholly owned member of the
Roche Group. Roche has a majority stake in Chugai Pharmaceutical,
Japan. For more information:
www.roche.com or www.roche-diagnostics.us.
All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected
by law.
For further information, please contact:
Todd Siesky
Director, Corporate Communications
Roche Diagnostics Corporation
Indianapolis, IN
(317) 521-3966
todd.siesky@roche.com
SOURCE Roche Diagnostics