1. Stacey S on December 1, 2005 2:23 PM writes...

Hi Derick.
A question about these plant closings.....
Some politicians in Florida are advocating the creation of new biomedical enterprize zones to encourage pharma to move manufacturing here. They're trying to assemble a good list of incentives that could make us more attractive than Puerto Rico, for example.
I'm wondering:
1) My sources say coming FDA approvals of biologicals are going to require lots of capital investment in the near future. True or false?
2) What do you think about putting such plants at the headwaters of the Everglades / in an active hurricane zone. Any concerns?
3) What types of incentives would work? Soverign immunity? TIFs?
4) Is anyone really building these plants in the United States? Why/why not?

Thanks!
Stacey S

2. BritChemist on December 2, 2005 5:16 AM writes...

You know, I'm not overly surprised that some of the Merck places over here in the UK are due to close.

Each year for the last 4-5 years they've been putting out ads for chemists (that I've noticed, anyway), and each year I have either been personally involved, or know people who have been involved, in trying to get a job there. We hear nothing for 4-5 months after application, trying to phone just leads to voicemails, and unanswered mail (both good old fashioned paper and e-mail) then suddenly out of the blue we get a letter saying the positions are on hold pending a budget review or similar.

Still, it's a shame if Terlings Park is going to close, from what I understand it's quite a pleasant site. I suupose one of the problems is that there's a lot of biotech concerns locally (it's close to both Cambridge and London), many of which seem to be doing similar stuff. Oh well, time to try and find somewhere else to concentrate my job efforts then for now.

S

3. Belbo on December 2, 2005 7:34 PM writes...

Terlings may be toast, but at least there's a silver lining for the PR&D folks at Hoddesdon

http://www.herts-essex-news.co.uk/news/mercury/hoddesdon_mercury/2005/12/02/400%20jobs%20are%20safe.lpf

"MSD managing director Vincent Lawton said Hoddesdon would be at the heart of the firm's restructured UK operations.

"The recent investment to establish a new global centre of excellence in chemistry at Hoddesdon, to serve the needs of Merck's organics and synthetic chemistry organisation, will be completed in spring 2006,"

4. Insider on December 3, 2005 6:34 AM writes...

I'm not sure that the process research department in Hoddesdon will be safe in the long term. Much of their workload came from Terlings Park projects and Merck could easily decide to conslidate all process chemistry to the USA. Merck have just invested a great deal of money in a state of the art animal facility at TP, which will be abandoned with the rest of the site.

5. joan Petty on March 29, 2008 10:24 PM writes...

I have a comment for you. Merck is a German owned company and not American. The parent Company is E-Merck located in Germany and owns 70% of the stock and Merck KGaA Inc. owns 30% of the stock and Merck in N.J. is a subsidary of the E-Merck. Merck is Globle and in 90 countries. They merge with any and all Chemical Companies or any prescription drug company they can take over or control. If they come to Florida it will be to build a chemical company on the coast so if a hurrican hits it will contamiate as much of the enviorment as possible. Their Motto is to rule the Wrold. Merck is out to kill as many humans as they can.

6. eugene on March 30, 2008 3:36 PM writes...

"Merck is out to kill as many humans as they can."

You'd think that if the Merck CEO hated humanity that much, he would kill his family and commit hari-kiri before getting anything done. It must be a deep and very disciplined form of hatred if it makes him ignore his own self-loathing just long enough to control the world and end it all in one fell swoop.

I hope someone stops that guy and the VP.

7. Anon on March 30, 2008 4:28 PM writes...

Joan Petty is either a troll or an idiot.

Since the poster can't spell "global", I'm betting on idiot.

Merck hasn't been a German company since, like, 1912 or something. Two completely separate companies. Where do you read this total BS?

8. Joan Petty on September 21, 2009 7:36 PM writes...

Anon, you can look up on the Web and read all the Merck history. You might want to know that anyone can make a typo error and still not be an idiot. I don't see you doing anything constructive or even interesting when you go after someone else. Your comments are full of air. If you are so smart why don't you look up Merck's history on the Web site and read it for yourself.