GE Healthcare Life Sciences to Move HQ to Massachusetts

GE Healthcare Life Sciences plans to open a new 160,000-square-foot facility in Marlborough, Mass., as the new headquarters for its U.S. operations. The company said it’s a $21 million investment in the long-term future of a “key growth business” for GE Healthcare.

The move will establish a new site for more than 500 GE Healthcare Life Sciences employees, including the creation of more than 220 new jobs—highly skilled positions such as lab technicians, biologists, medical doctors, process engineers and customer service representatives. Recruitment has begun with the site scheduled to open in Spring 2015.

Current headquarters are in Piscataway, N.J., which employees about 400 people. GE officials have said that more than 200 jobs will be cut.

“Our new facility in Massachusetts will position us for continued innovation and competition in a fast-paced, innovative industry,” said Kieran Murphy, president and CEO of GE Healthcare Life Sciences. “We will be close to talent, customers, and academic and medical institutions across all the industry sectors we serve, from biotech and pharma, to diagnostics and medical devices.”

GE Healthcare’s life-sciences business provides expertise, tools and solutions for various applications, including basic research of cells and proteins, drug discovery, cell therapy and regenerative medicine, as well as tools and technology to support large-scale manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals, vaccines and biologics. It also supplies leading contrast, PET and nuclear medicine agents for diagnostic imaging.

“Today, Massachusetts’ life-sciences sectors are the fastest-growing sectors of our economy. We look forward to welcoming the U.S. life sciences headquarters of GE Healthcare and are pleased that the company will create a substantial number of new, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)-related job opportunities in central Massachusetts,” said Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.

“This investment will transform a currently unoccupied space into state-of-the-art labs, customer application facilities and office space to complement GE Healthcare Life Sciences’ existing manufacturing capability in Westborough, Mass. The facility will consolidate GE Healthcare Life Sciences’ East Coast presence, “bringing together a critical mass of talent and expertise-dedicated collaboration, innovation and leadership in the industry,” GE officials said in a statement.

GE Healthcare Life Sciences’ $4 billion business has more than 11,500 employees in more than 100 countries. The new U.S. headquarters will house employees from across the Life Sciences business, including its research, bioprocessing, medical imaging, in-vitro diagnostics and services segments.

“This GE Healthcare Life Sciences investment, adding more than 220 new jobs with an exciting biotechnology leader, is proof that innovation is thriving outside Route 128, and of Marlborough’s ability to build the necessary infrastructure to attract top-tier, global life-sciences companies,” said Arthur Vigeant, Marlborough’s mayor.

“MassBIO continues to be engaged in policy, economic development and STEM education to foster the world’s leading biotech cluster,” said Robert Coughlin, President, MassBIO.

GE Healthcare develops medical imaging, software and information technology, patient monitoring and diagnostics, drug discovery and biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, and performance improvement solutions.

Boston Scientific also recently moved its headquarters to Marlborough from Natick, Mass.