Bayer's $2.2 Billion Ohio Drug Plant Expects About 600 Jobs, With the First Module Due in 2031

Bayer plans to invest $2.2 billion in a new pharmaceutical manufacturing site in New Albany, Ohio, and the company expects to create around 600 high-value jobs in the New Albany International Business Park and roughly 1,500 construction jobs. The catch for anyone hoping to work there is the calendar. The first module is expected to become operational in 2031, and construction is scheduled to begin in mid-2027. For Metaintro readers in central Ohio, that means two sets of expected jobs, with roughly 1,500 construction jobs during the facility's construction and around 600 plant jobs at a campus whose first module is expected to open in 2031. This guide sets out what was unveiled, what the timeline looks like, how the training center plans to prepare workers, and what you can do now.

What Did Bayer Announce for New Albany?

The plan was unveiled on Friday, Oct. 2, when Governor Mike DeWine joined Bayer and JobsOhio, the state's private nonprofit economic development corporation, at the announcement. The site sits in the New Albany International Business Park.

The jobs figure carries a hedge. Bayer is expected to create around 600 high-value jobs, and roughly 1,500 construction jobs are expected during the facility's construction. These are expected jobs at a plant whose construction is scheduled to begin in mid-2027, not open vacancies.

The project builds on more than seven billion dollars in U.S. pharma R&D and manufacturing spend over the past five years, and the United States is Bayer's largest pharmaceuticals market. Across the whole group, Bayer employed around 88,000 people in fiscal 2025.

The new campus will complement Bayer's U.S. pharmaceuticals headquarters in Whippany, New Jersey and its other sites in Pittsburgh, Berkeley, Cambridge, Research Triangle Park and San Diego. Bayer looked at a number of different sites across various states before choosing Ohio, and talent was one of the factors in deciding on Ohio. The United States is also Bayer's fastest-growing pharmaceuticals market, according to Sebastian Guth, president of Bayer U.S.

The site is meant to link research and production. It will form part of a new U.S. based collaboration ecosystem that aims to connect cutting-edge academic innovation with advanced manufacturing expertise. The Ohio State University president Ravi Bellamkonda said the facility will open new opportunities for consequential academic-industry partnerships and that the university is excited for its researchers to work alongside Bayer teams.

When Will the Permanent Plant Jobs Actually Arrive?

The company plans to develop the facility in stages. The first module, dedicated to drug substance manufacturing, is expected to become operational in 2031, and a second module for drug product manufacturing is planned to follow in 2034.

No split of the 600 roles between the two modules appears in the Bayer announcement. Bayer says the campus will eventually employ about 600 workers, and Senator Bernie Moreno put the timing as when completed, it could employ around 600 people.

Construction is targeted to begin in 2027 following completion of design, site due diligence and required approvals and permits. The city of New Albany has not received site plans or applications for zoning, grading, building or infrastructure permits, and it has no square-footage figures for either manufacturing phase yet.

Bayer cautions that its release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management, and actual results could differ. Dates this far out can move, so treat the 2031 operating date as a target.

The project is now moving into the early design phase with Fluor, and we are evaluating our approach to procurement, detailed engineering and construction as that work advances, a Bayer spokesperson told ENR.

What Will the Plant Make, and What Does That Say About the Work?

The campus is designed to combine drug substance and drug product manufacturing, use advanced digital and automation technologies, and support Bayer's growing portfolio initially in oncology, cardiovascular and renal care. The second module is for finished drug products, and Bayer has assigned one module to each.

The first module will produce small-molecule oncology, cardiovascular and renal drugs, Sebastian Guth told The Wall Street Journal. That is different from Bayer's Berkeley plant, which is dedicated to biologic medicines, which are produced from living cells.

Governor DeWine said the permanent roles will be focused on developing compounds that make Bayer's medicines work. No list of job titles for the site appears in Bayer's release.

Bayer CEO Bill Anderson described the campus as designed as a flexible and modular facility, allowing Bayer to expand its manufacturing capabilities as its pharmaceutical portfolio grows.

What Construction Work Is Planned, and Who Will Hire for It?

The project is expected to generate roughly 1,500 construction jobs, and construction is scheduled to begin in mid-2027.

Bayer worked with Fluor Corp. during site selection and has retained the engineering firm as the project moves into early design. It has not selected a detailed design firm, construction manager or general contractor, and it expects to define its procurement approach and timing in early 2027. Bayer has also declined to disclose how much of the $2.2-billion investment represents construction versus process equipment and other costs.

The design of small-molecule chemical active pharmaceutical ingredient facilities typically centers on core process equipment, with utilities, solvent storage, emissions and waste handling among the systems that must be addressed, according to International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering guidance.

At a May 13 Sustainability Advisory Board meeting, before the Bayer announcement, New Albany Community Development Director Jennifer Chrysler said an estimated 25,000 construction workers were already traveling into the community daily. She pointed to Amgen's nearby campus, presented as a 20-year buildout but now expected to be completed in less than seven years.

How Will the Ohio Life Science Training Center Prepare Workers?

For people without pharma experience, the training plan is the part to read closely. Bayer will draw on the Ohio Life Science Training Center, under construction and scheduled to open in summer 2027, to train Ohioans to work as biomanufacturing operators and technicians.

The New Albany site was announced on March 3, 2026, and the center will be run by Ohio Life Sciences, which will collaborate with industry, higher education institutions, community colleges and technical schools. Here is what the training will cover.

• Entry-level skills. Programming will be aligned with entry-level employment, including Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), contextualized manufacturing foundations, and lab skills.
• Realistic spaces. The facility will have simulated clean rooms, labs, classrooms, and meeting spaces designed to prepare Ohioans for in-demand operator roles in biopharma manufacturing.
• Industry input. Training will be developed in partnership with industry to ensure graduates are workforce-ready on day one.
• A statewide network. The center will anchor an eventual statewide network of training locations using universities, community colleges and technical schools.

JobsOhio is investing up to $30 million in the center, alongside nearly $8 million from the City of New Albany, the State of Ohio and The New Albany Company. The City of New Albany has committed a $5 million investment over five years to the center. Columbus State is also named among the partners building the talent pipeline. The center is part of a push to win a share of the $500 billion-plus biomanufacturing domestic investment pipeline, and it will serve life sciences employers across Ohio rather than Bayer alone.

Bayer didn't just choose a site. It chose a workforce, said JobsOhio President and CEO J.P. Nauseef.

Do You Need a Science Degree to Work at the Plant?

No hiring requirements for New Albany appear in Bayer's release. What exists is a signal from officials who spoke about the plant. Moreno expects the jobs to not be limited to workers with advanced scientific degrees, and he added that Bayer will also need people of all different skill sets.

The governor pointed to graduates. DeWine expects people to come out of Ohio State, University of Cincinnati, University of Dayton and many more and go directly to work for Bayer and companies like it. The Ohio Discovery Corridor provides access to 39,000 annual STEM graduates.

For people new to the industry, the Ohio Life Science Training Center is designed to prepare Ohioans for in-demand operator roles in biopharma manufacturing.

Which Life Sciences Employers Are Already in the Park?

The business park already has a life sciences cluster that includes Amgen, Hims & Hers, American Regent and Pharmavite.

Life sciences companies in the park, including American Regent, Amgen and Pharmavite, already employ more than 2,660 people there, a total bolstered by Amgen's 350 job expansion opening in New Albany in 2027, said William Ebbing, president and CEO of The New Albany Company. That Amgen expansion opens in 2027, while Bayer's first module is expected in 2031.

The life sciences industry employs 18,000 people in central Ohio and 64,000 across the state.

What Public Support Is Bayer Seeking?

The project will pursue a Job Creation Tax Credit from the Ohio Department of Development at a future Tax Credit Authority meeting.

Bayer also plans to pursue JobsOhio assistance, and those details would be made public after a final agreement is executed.

DeWine framed the project as long-term, saying it is going to have benefit for people in the state of Ohio for 50 to 100 years.

How Big Is the Site, and What Is Still Undecided?

The campus size depends on an option. New Albany officials put the initial site at approximately 110 acres, with an option for another 85 acres that could bring the campus to about 195 acres.

Several practical questions are still open.

• Water. Water allocation and related infrastructure are now part of New Albany's ongoing discussions with Bayer, and the city receives water and sewer service from Columbus.
• Power. The city does not provide electric service, and an investor-owned utility and an energy cooperative have service territory within the business park.
• Roads. Any roadway improvements will be determined as the campus moves through planning and design.

The city says two decades of strategic planning to ensure access to power, water and infrastructure allow projects like this to move quickly. Local schools are also looking for links, with New Albany-Plain Local Schools Superintendent Dr. Jason Fine saying the district looks forward to exploring opportunities to build meaningful connections for students.

What This Means for Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next?

Our take is that this is a real project with a long fuse. Large plants hire in waves, starting with the construction trades, as set out in How a New FDA Program Could Bring Drug Manufacturing Jobs Back to the US. The campus is expected to eventually employ about 600 workers, the first module is expected in 2031, and the forecast in Bayer's release is subject to known and unknown risks. The useful part right now is the training center and the construction timeline.

Here is what we would do.

• Building trades, plan for 2027. Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-2027, and Bayer expects to set its procurement approach in early 2027. Bayer has not selected a construction manager or general contractor yet, so follow those awards, and if you are new to the trades, one apprenticeship route is set out in How to Become an Electrician and What the Apprenticeship Involves.
• New to pharma, aim at the training center. It is scheduled to open in summer 2027 to train biomanufacturing operators and technicians, with a focus on cGMP, contextualized manufacturing foundations and lab skills.
• Know the other employers in the park. Amgen, Hims & Hers, American Regent and Pharmavite are already in the business park, and Amgen has a 350 job expansion opening in New Albany in 2027.
• Engineers and scientists, follow the design phase. Bayer is moving into the early design phase with Fluor, and it has not yet selected a detailed design firm.
• Watch the tax credit decision. The project will pursue a Job Creation Tax Credit at a future Tax Credit Authority meeting, and the JobsOhio assistance would be made public after a final agreement is executed.

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People Also Asked

Q: How many jobs will the Bayer plant in New Albany create?

A: Bayer is expected to create around 600 high-value jobs and roughly 1,500 construction jobs, and the first module is expected to become operational in 2031.

Q: When will the Bayer plant in Ohio open?

A: The first module, dedicated to drug substance manufacturing, is expected to become operational in 2031, with a second module for drug product manufacturing planned for 2034.

Q: How can I train for a job at the Bayer plant?

A: The Ohio Life Science Training Center in New Albany is scheduled to open in summer 2027 to train Ohioans as biomanufacturing operators and technicians, and Bayer will draw on it.

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