The Daily Reporter
Next year will mark a new beginning for Elanco as the animal health business moves into its global headquarters under construction just north of Interstate 70.
Some 350 to 400 Elanco employees will move into the new buildings over a matter of weeks starting in March. The new headquarters will provide several advantages for Elanco. One advantage involves branding.
This was the year that Elanco made significant strides in increasing the exposure of its brand as the company stepped out of the large shadow of its parent corporation, Eli Lilly and Co.
Ever since the sale of Greenfield Laboratories, Elanco has increased its visibility in the community.
In May, about 225 Elanco employees were out in force for Lilly's second annual Global Day of Caring. This time, though, the T-shirts they donned were Elanco blue instead of Lilly red.
"We are very much a part of Lilly, but here in Hancock County, we have very much made an effort to brand this as an Elanco project," Elanco spokeswoman Joan Todd said at the time. "It's a great opportunity to help differentiate ourselves. Our brand is going to be more visible in the coming years."
Another branding maneuver also came when Elanco changed the name of its pet business to Elanco Companion Animal Health. The move brought all of Elanco's businesses under the Elanco name.
Another advantage of the new buildings involves cost. The company estimates the new headquarters will allow it to save at least $1 million a year in operating expenses.
A third advantage involves space. At Greenfield Laboratories, Elanco workers have been spread out in different buildings; the new headquarters will allow Elanco teams to work in closer proximity, which should improve communication and efficiency.
Economic development experts expect Elanco to spur future development north of I-70. Developer Browning Investments will market the acreage surrounding Elanco to companies in areas such as research and development, engineering and advanced manufacturing.
One possibility is that the Elanco headquarters will bring other life sciences companies to the area. Life sciences companies represent the type of highpaying jobs that communities covet, and the visibility of Elanco along I-70 could lure other companies in the sector.
With hundreds of well-paid employees working in the area, retailers will likely become interested in nearby locations.
Regardless of what may come, officials expect Elanco to serve as the linchpin for future growth north of the interstate.
EnerDel, Covance may add jobs here
Elanco is far from the only reason for optimism about local business as we enter the new year.
For one, Mt. Comfort appears well-positioned in the competition for an EnerDel facility that would make next-generation lithium-ion batteries for automotive and other applications.
EnerDel representatives will approach the county's board of zoning appeals next month for a special exception to locate manufacturing operations there. (An EnerDel spokesman said it marks one of many steps in the decision-making process and that a final decision should come in the next few months.)
Another reason for optimism involves Covance. Greenfield is in the running for hundreds of jobs in the areas of nutritional chemistry services, analytical services, a Bio-marker Center for Excellence and drug discovery services. The 315 jobs range from entry-level support people to managers, scientists and senior scientists.
"We will compete for Covance resources with their worldwide operations," Dennis Maloy, executive director of Hancock Economic Development Council, wrote in November in an e-mail interview for eReporter/biz the Daily Reporter's electronic business newsletter.
"However, Covance bought the Greenfield Labs campus for a reason - the growth potential it represents. We will continue to work closely with Covance representatives, both locally and at their corporate headquarters in Princeton, N.J., nurturing those relationships to make sure that Hancock County's competitive advantage is always on their radar screen."
If Greenfield gets all the jobs, it would double the number of Covance employees at Greenfield Laboratories over the next few years.