Miltenyi Biotec will relocate its North America HQ to Gaithersburg

The globally reaching biotechnology company Miltenyi Biotec is solidifying its stateside presence by moving its North American headquarters to Gaithersburg, Maryland.

The company also plans to add 130 new full-time jobs in Maryland, which a Tuesday statement from the state’s Department of Commerce said would bring Miltenyi Biotech’s Maryland headcount to 300 by year’s end.

This HQ move requires the Bergisch Gladbach, Germany-based company to expand its facility at 1201 Clopper Road (less than a mile from the MARC Brunswick Line’s Metropolitan Grove station), which already has 170 employees. The new space will support additional manufacturing, quality assurance and research and development capacity, the statement noted.

The biotech giant’s last big regional move was the acquisition of University of Maryland School of Medicine spin out Living Pharma back in 2017. To incentivize job growth in the new HQ, the company plans to use Maryland’s More Jobs for Marylanders program and Job Creation Tax Credit.

“By selecting Maryland for its North American headquarters, Miltenyi Biotec will help us continue growing our industry and further our efforts in remaining one of the top 10 life sciences clusters in the nation,” Gov. Larry Hogan said in the statement.

This HQ move additionally speaks to the draw of the I-270 corridor, known as DNA Valley. The life sciences hub of Gaithersburg continues to draw and birth companies like Viela Bio, which biopharmaceutical titan Horizon Theraputics acquired for $3.05 billion, and Novavax, which the federal government awarded $1.6 billion to develop coronavirus vaccines.

Myltenyi Biotec, which specializes in cell research and therapy, boasts 4,000 employees globally and six North American locations (not including this Gaithersburg HQ). With billions of dollars circulating throughout DNA Valley, it’s not a surprise Maryland beat out the other states with Miltenyi Biotec offices.

“Our community has the talent, investment capital and research hubs that make Gaithersburg the ideal place for life sciences innovation,” said Mayor Jud Ashman of Gaithersburg in the statement, adding: “Here’s to a bright future for both the company and its growing workforce.”

Donte Kirby is a 2020-2022 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation.