by Anthony Salamone, Contact Reporter Of The Morning Call
Bucks County life-sciences company Lampire Biological Laboratories has expanded its operations by acquiring a 179-acre farm in Bedford County.
The company recently closed on the farm near Everett, Bedford County, for $1.15 million, including renovations, company President and CEO Gregory Krug said Thursday. The farm which complements its previous acquisition of 400 acres in the same area. Lampire, which also operates a laboratory in Coopersburg, plans to increase production by handling additional animals needed to produce biological materials used for drug testing and diagnostic and research use.
Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration announced this week that officials approved a $400,000 low-interest loan toward the farm purchase for Lampire, which is headquartered off Route 611 in Bedminister Township. The 15-year, 3.75 percent loan received approvals through the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority and the Bedford County Development Association.
Michael Gerber, a spokesman with the state Department of Community and Economic Development, said Lampire’s farm acquisition is not tied to job creation or retention. But privately owned Lampire, which was founded about 40 years ago, has been growing. It employs 137 people at six facilities in Pennsylvania. The company makes raw materials, such as serums and antibodies, drawn from animals, that are used by the diagnostic, biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries.
Separately, Lampire said it has started production of a new product: lobster hemocyanin. A protein found in lobsters and related animals, specialized hemocyanins, have a range of uses in the biomedical field, according to Lobster Unlimited of Brewer, Maine, which is partnering with Lampire on the product. Krug said the origin of the lobster hemocyanin project was a collaboration between Lampire and scientists at the University of Maine.
Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. has targeted life-science research and manufacturing, including the pharmaceutical industry, as one of four sectors with great potential for growth in the region. A recent talent supply study from LVEDC says nearly 10,400 people work in the sector, with the number expected to grow by 565 jobs in 2022.
The Valley's existing medical supply and medical diagnostics presence, including OraSure Technologies and B. Braun Medical, its access to talent from local universities that could support the research and development, and proximity to pharmaceutical companies in suburban Philadelphia and New Jersey are among the reasons behind the anticipated growth.
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