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Vacaville Product Operations Genentech's facility in Vacaville, California, is one of the world's largest biotechnology manufacturing plants for the large-scale production of pharmaceutical proteins from mammalian cells. The facility opened in 1998 and was licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2000. Today, Genentech Vacaville Product Operations employs approximately 940 individuals in the areas of manufacturing, quality and administration. Products Manufactured in Vacaville Genentech's Vacaville Product Operations is licensed by the FDA to manufacture four FDA-approved products:
Current Facility Genentech's Vacaville Product Operations is located on a 100-acre site, about 50 miles northeast of San Francisco and 30 miles southwest of Sacramento along Interstate 80. The plant is located 60 miles from Genentech's corporate headquarters in South San Francisco. Genentech's seven existing buildings in Vacaville cover approximately 33 acres and comprise more than 427,000 square feet of space devoted to manufacturing, maintenance, laboratories, office space and warehousing. Vacaville Product Operations currently houses twelve 12,000-liter fermenters, in which mass cultures grow and products develop. Expansion On April 1, 2004, Genentech announced its decision to expand its Vacaville facility. The expansion includes both manufacturing and administrative buildings. In addition to the existing capacity, the new manufacturing facility will be configured with eight, 25,000-liter fermentation tanks and will add 380,000 square feet of new facilities in Vacaville. Construction on the expansion began in the third quarter of 2004 and the new complex is expected to be licensed in the second half of 2009 with an investment of approximately $800 million. Community Involvement Genentech's Vacaville facility is an established member of the Vacaville and Solano County communities. The company is a strong supporter of the local area through charitable donations to civic, cultural and educational non-profit organizations. In 2005, Genentech granted $500,000 to support construction of a new emergency room at VacaValley hospital that will meet the needs of the local community. Since 1993, Genentech has worked closely with local educational institutions to support and improve biotechnology education. Genentech and Solano Community College partnered to create an innovative workforce development model in the form of a biotechnology certificate program to provide technical education to students interested in careers in biotechnology. Genentech has also supported the University of California at Davis through frequent biotechnology lectures, research collaborations and student internships. In addition, each year, local students participate in the Genentech Scholars Program, a program for high school and college students that grants educational scholarships and gives college-level students the opportunity to augment their academic knowledge with "real-world" industry experience through an internship at Genentech. Genentech employees are active in a wide array of community-based initiatives as volunteers and civic leaders. In addition, Genentech supports the local community through corporate contributions, volunteering and other outreach programs including the company's signature local economic development program, "Genentech Goes to Town," which provides Genentech employees "GenenMoney" to be used exclusively in Vacaville's downtown business district each fall. In 2007, the program celebrated its 8th year in Vacaville. Since the program's inception, approximately $1.5 million has been distributed to support merchants in the company's hometowns. About Genentech Founded more than 30 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes biotherapeutics for significant unmet medical needs. A considerable number of the currently approved biotechnology products originated from, or are based on, Genentech science. Genentech manufactures and commercializes multiple biotechnology products and licenses several additional products to other companies. The company has headquarters in South San Francisco, California and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DNA. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com. January 2008 |