Zoetis announces plans to expand operations in
lincoln
Florham park, n.j.--(business wire)--zoetis inc. (nyse: zts), formerly the animal health business unit of pfizer inc., announced plans to expand its manufacturing facility in lincoln, neb., to facilitate the production of high-quality, reliable medicines for veterinarians, livestock producers and the animals under their care. a world leader in animal health, zoetis expects this expansion to affirm its longstanding commitment to being a world-class manufacturer of animal health products as well as to continue to be an employer of choice in lincoln. the plan calls for a 19,000 square-foot, three-story expansion of the existing production facility to accommodate the transfer of products from a third-party manufacturer to lincoln. early stages of planning and construction have begun and groundbreaking is expected to occur later this summer, initiating the start of the full construction phase. zoetis expects to complete construction in 2014. this expansion will help ensure a reliable, consistent supply of quality medicines for animals. today, zoetis produces some of its flagship pharmaceutical products and vaccines at the lincoln plant, including bovi-shield gold® and respisure one® for livestock and rimadyl® for dogs. the site is one of the largest internal manufacturing operations within zoetis, employing more than 500 people today; the facility expansion could create as many as 30 new positions at peak production time. “zoetis is excited about the opportunity to expand its manufacturing footprint in lincoln and to leverage the expertise in high-quality manufacturing that our colleagues have demonstrated in lincoln for decades,” said michael morgan, site leader in lincoln. zoetis and its predecessors have long held a presence in the lincoln area. in the early 20th century, drug firms and distributors such as norden laboratories established facilities in nebraska that evolved over time. since then, more recent incarnations of these animal health companies, including the zoetis facility, have continued to serve as an important part of the lincoln community. the lincoln facility is a key site in zoetis’ global manufacturing network and one of the largest suppliers of zoetis’ animal health products for the world. it has been in operation at its current location since 1961, producing 1,200 finished goods for more than 100 markets annually. “this expansion shows our continuing commitment to the lincoln community, a community that we have been a part of for several decades. we are proud of our new name, zoetis, and look forward to continuing to produce great quality medicines and vaccines for our customers,” said morgan. about zoetis zoetis (zŌ-eh-tis) is the leading animal health company, dedicated to supporting its customers and their businesses. building on a 60-year history as the animal health business of pfizer, zoetis discovers, develops, manufactures and markets veterinary vaccines and medicines, with a focus on both farm and companion animals. the company generated annual revenues of $4.3 billion in 2012. it has more than 9,300 employees worldwide and a local presence in approximately 70 countries, including 29 manufacturing facilities in 11 countries. its products serve veterinarians, livestock producers and people who raise and care for farm and companion animals in 120 countries. for more information on the company, visit www.zoetis.com. forward-looking statements this press release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect zoetis’ current views with respect to business plans or prospects, future operating or financial performance, and other future events. these statements are not guarantees of future performance. forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. if one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if management's underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by a forward-looking statement. forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. zoetis expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. a further list and description of risks, uncertainties and other matters can be found in our annual report on form 10-k for the fiscal year ended december 31, 2012, including in the sections thereof captioned “forward-looking information and factors that may affect future results” and “item 1a. risk factors”, and in our reports on form 8-k. these filings and subsequent filings are available online at www.sec.gov or on request from zoetis. internet posting of information we routinely post information that may be important to investors in the 'investors' section of our web site at www.zoetis.com, on our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/zoetis and on twitter @zoetis. we encourage investors and potential investors to consult our web site regularly and to follow us on facebook and twitter for important information about us.
