Lonza has started construction on a new advanced manufacturing facility in Bend, Oregon, with the project expected to create more than 80 permanent positions and about 650 construction jobs. The expansion will add capacity to Lonza’s pharmaceutical manufacturing operations and strengthen Bend’s role in Oregon’s life sciences sector.
Key Takeaways
- Lonza has begun construction on a new advanced manufacturing facility in Bend.
- The project is expected to create more than 80 permanent jobs.
- Approximately 650 construction jobs are expected during the project.
- The new facility is expected to be completed in 2029.
- Oregon’s Strategic Reserve Fund has committed $1.6 million toward initial capital and equipment costs, subject to final contract negotiations.
Lonza Begins Construction on Bend Biotech Expansion
The Bend biotech expansion will add a new advanced manufacturing facility to Lonza’s existing operations in the Central Oregon city. The project is expected to create more than 80 high-wage, permanent jobs and approximately 650 construction jobs during the build-out.
Construction began with Lonza and Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek announcing the project in Bend. The expansion is planned as an addition to Lonza’s pharmaceutical manufacturing operations, increasing the company’s capacity at a site that has supported life sciences work in Oregon.
The facility is expected to be completed in 2029. Its construction will provide employment opportunities during the project, while the completed operation is expected to add more than 80 permanent positions.
The project also involves state and local government support. The City of Bend is the first local government in Oregon to use expanded incentives enabled through House Bill 4084, which was introduced by Kotek during the 2026 legislative session as part of her Prosperity Roadmap.
A separate Oregon manufacturing investment recently announced in Hillsboro also involves expanded biotechnology capacity and hundreds of manufacturing and construction jobs, providing another example of life-sciences facilities adding employment in the state.
New Facility Adds Advanced Manufacturing Capacity
The new facility will expand Lonza’s advanced manufacturing capabilities in Bend. The site uses particle engineering and spray-drying technologies for pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers, supporting work from early research through commercial manufacturing.
Lonza’s Bend operation has been involved in scientific innovation and pharmaceutical manufacturing for nearly 50 years. According to the state announcement, the site has supported the evaluation or development of more than 2,000 potential medicines.
The expansion will add manufacturing capacity to those existing operations. The project is intended to support Lonza’s work with pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers while maintaining the company’s manufacturing presence in Central Oregon.
The facility will form part of the existing Bend operation rather than establishing an unrelated business at a new Oregon location. That connection gives the construction project a direct link to the employment and manufacturing activity already associated with the site.
Oregon also has state financing programs intended to prepare industrial sites for manufacturing and other traded-sector uses. The state’s Industrial Site Loan Fund, for example, provides financing for infrastructure and development work connected to eligible industrial properties.
Bend Site’s Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Operations
Lonza’s Bend site serves pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers through advanced particle-engineering and spray-drying technologies. Those capabilities can be used across stages of medicine development, from early research to commercial manufacturing.
The site’s nearly five decades of operations also provide an established manufacturing base for the new facility. The reported history includes support for more than 2,000 potential medicines through evaluation or development activities.
The new construction adds to that existing capacity rather than replacing the Bend operation. The expansion is expected to support additional manufacturing activity after the facility is completed.
Project Brings More Than 80 Permanent Jobs
The project is expected to create more than 80 permanent jobs once the new facility is operating. The state announcement describes the positions as high-wage jobs, making permanent employment a central part of the project’s expected economic effect.
The permanent positions will be tied to the expanded advanced manufacturing operation in Bend. The project therefore combines a temporary construction workforce with longer-term employment associated with the completed facility.
The employment component extends beyond the construction period. Approximately 650 construction jobs are expected over the duration of the project, while more than 80 permanent positions are expected after the facility becomes operational.
The facility’s planned completion in 2029 provides the timeline for the transition from construction activity to the expanded manufacturing operation. The project will therefore involve separate employment phases as construction progresses and the facility moves toward completion.
Oregon’s technology and research sector is also receiving investment through Portland State University, which received a $5.9 million federal research grant in September to support commercialization, startups and industry partnerships in areas including semiconductors, transportation and infrastructure.
Construction Phase Expected to Support 650 Jobs
Approximately 650 construction jobs are expected to be created over the duration of the project. Those positions will be associated with building the new advanced manufacturing facility in Bend.
The construction workforce is substantially larger than the number of permanent jobs expected once the facility is completed. The figures provide separate measures for the temporary employment generated during construction and the longer-term positions associated with the finished operation.
The project also received state support through the Governor’s Strategic Reserve Fund. A $1.6 million investment is expected to help offset initial capital investment and equipment costs.
The terms of that Strategic Reserve Fund award are in final contract negotiations. The funding is part of the effort by the Governor’s Office and Business Oregon to secure the expansion for Oregon.
The Governor’s Office worked with Business Oregon for about a year to make the case for Oregon as the location for Lonza’s expansion. The effort preceded the announcement of the construction project in Bend.
The construction workforce will be part of a broader Oregon labor market that includes demand for skilled workers in building and infrastructure projects. Recent reporting on Portland-area electricians found that local construction conditions have varied by project type while infrastructure and other work continue to generate employment needs.
Oregon Support for the Expansion
The Bend project is connected to Oregon’s Prosperity Roadmap, a strategy unveiled in December 2025 with three stated goals: retaining and growing Oregon businesses, catalyzing job creation and accelerating economic growth.
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House Bill 4084 also plays a role in the project through expanded incentives available to local governments. Bend is the first local government in Oregon to use the expanded incentives created through that legislation.
The Strategic Reserve Fund investment provides additional state support for the project’s initial capital and equipment costs. The $1.6 million award remains subject to final contract negotiations.
The project follows Kotek’s participation in the BIO International Convention in San Diego, where she participated in two panels and met with life sciences companies about investment opportunities in Oregon.
Facility Completion Set for 2029
Lonza expects the new Bend facility to be completed in 2029. Until then, the project will move through its construction phase, which is expected to support approximately 650 construction jobs.
Once completed, the facility is expected to add more than 80 permanent jobs to Lonza’s Bend operations. The expansion will also increase the company’s advanced manufacturing capacity at the Central Oregon site.
The state identifies life sciences as an established Oregon industry, with companies including Genentech, Thermo Fisher and Lonza maintaining significant operations in the state. In 2023, Oregon’s life sciences sector generated $21.2 billion in total economic impact, supported nearly 75,000 jobs and 2,500 businesses, and contributed $5.6 billion in exports.
The Bend facility adds to that existing manufacturing base through a specific investment in pharmaceutical and biotechnology production. Its scheduled 2029 completion sets the point at which the expanded facility is expected to become part of Lonza’s manufacturing operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Bend biotech expansion?
The Bend biotech expansion is Lonza’s construction of a new advanced manufacturing facility at its existing Bend operations. The facility will add capacity for pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturing.
How many jobs will the Lonza Bend facility create?
The project is expected to create more than 80 permanent jobs. Approximately 650 construction jobs are expected over the duration of the facility’s construction.
When will the new Lonza facility in Bend be completed?
The new facility is expected to be completed in 2029.
What will the new Bend manufacturing facility produce?
The facility will expand Lonza’s advanced manufacturing capabilities for pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers. The Bend site uses particle engineering and spray-drying technologies supporting activities from early research through commercial manufacturing.
How much state funding is supporting the Lonza expansion?
The Governor’s Strategic Reserve Fund has committed $1.6 million to help offset initial capital investment and equipment costs. The terms of the award are in final contract negotiations.
