ATLANTA – One of the world’s largest privately held companies in the biopharmaceutical industry will invest $250 million in a new plant in Athens-Clarke County, Gov. Brian Kemp announced Wednesday.
California-based Meissner Corp. plans to create more than 1,700 jobs during the next eight years at the facility in Winterville.
Meissner manufactures advanced microfiltration products and therapeutic manufacturing systems for critical pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical applications. Founded in 1984, the company develops and manufactures vital medicines in areas such as oncology, cardiology and immunology.
“We are thrilled to embark on this important expansion and are excited to build our second U.S. manufacturing campus in Athens-Clarke County,” said Christopher Meissner, the company’s president. “The state of Georgia, and Athens-Clarke County in particular, is an ideal location with an incredible talent pool and strong geographic position that allows us to serve clients on the East Coast and throughout the world.”
When the currently planned phases are complete, the new campus will more than double the company’s manufacturing footprint in the U.S. Operations are expected to begin in early 2026.
The company will be hiring for a broad range of roles, including technicians, scientists and engineers as well as information technology and administrative positions. Interested individuals can learn more at www.meissner.com.
The company also plans to work with the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) through partnerships that will include potential internships and other collaboration opportunities.
“Meissner provides critical equipment that benefits other key industries in Georgia,” said Pat Wilson, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (DED). “From life sciences to food processing, companies across the state rely on these filtration systems to produce products that are safe for use.
The DED’s Global Commerce team worked in partnership on the project with Invest Athens – Athens-Clarke County’s economic development arm – Georgia Power, and the Technical College of Georgia’s Quick Start workforce development program.