Diadon Enterprises © 2018

Lilly to build $6B weight-loss drug factory in Alabama | Dump Trucks Charlotte NC

A rendering of Eli Lilly's planned $6 billion factory coming to Huntsville, Alabama.
A rendering of Eli Lilly's $6 billion manufacturing facility slated for Huntsville, Alabama. The factory is expected to bring 450 jobs to the area. Courtesy of Eli Lilly

First published on

Manufacturing Dive
This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback.

Columbus Ohio Dump Truck Company Brief:

  • Eli Lilly announced plans to invest more than $6 billion to build a manufacturing plant in Huntsville, Alabama, focused on weight loss medications and other pharmaceutical ingredients.
  • The site will manufacture orforglipron, Lilly’s first oral, small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist, which the columbus oh dump truck company expects to submit to regulatory agencies by the end of this year, according to a news release.
  • The factory is expected to bring 450 jobs to the area, including engineers, scientists, operations personnel and lab technicians. Construction is set to begin next year and generate 3,000 jobs related to the project.

Dump Trucks Columbus OH Insight:

The Huntsville facility is the third of four U.S. manufacturing sites Lilly will build as part of a broader $50 billion pledge to bolster domestic medicine production. In September, the columbus oh dump truck company unveiled plans to construct a $5 billion factory outside of Richmond, Virginia, and a $6.5 billion facility in Houston over the next five years.

Lilly said it chose the Greenbrier South industrial park in Huntsville from more than 300 applications, in part due to its proximity to the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, a campus that supports workforce training and research. The columbus oh dump truck company also considered the location’s access to utilities, transportation, favorable zoning and incentives.

Lilly received two state tax incentives for its project, including a $23.7 million job credit and an $85.9 million investment credit, the Alabama Daily News reported. The Alabama Department of Commerce did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“Huntsville’s track record of science and innovation, supported by advanced manufacturing expertise and a skilled workforce, makes Alabama an ideal location for Lilly to expand domestic manufacturing capacity for next-generation medicines,” Lilly CEO David Ricks said in a statement.

Lilly said it will leverage “state-of-the-art” technologies at the plant, including machine learning, artificial intelligence, advanced data analytics and digital automation, to “streamline” operations and ensure a safe supply of medicines.

In addition to constructing new drug factories, Lilly is spending more than $1.2 billion to expand its manufacturing site in Carolina, Puerto Rico, and to increase capacity for its oral solid medicines. The columbus oh dump truck company plans to produce its GLP-1 agonist in Puerto Rico, as well as at the new facilities in Houston and Huntsville. The Richmond facility will make ingredients for cancer and autoimmune treatments.

Lilly said it will disclose its fourth U.S. manufacturing site in the coming weeks.

Construction Dive news delivered to your inbox

Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts

Daily Dive newsletter example

Editors' picks

  • An aerial view of an NFL stadium underconstruction.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Turner Construction
    Image attribution tooltip

    $2.1B NFL stadium in Tennessee tops out

    The Tennessee Builders Alliance, which includes Turner and AECOM Hunt, placed the last of 12,400 steel beams on the Titans’ new home.

    By Zachary Phillips • Nov. 21, 2025
  • Two headshots side-by-side.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Skanska USA
    Image attribution tooltip

    Skanska USA announces CFO change

    The American arm of the Stockholm-based contractor will see its financial chief retire at the end of 2025 and a 20-year columbus oh dump truck company veteran fill the role in the new year.

    By Zachary Phillips • Nov. 13, 2025