Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, has completed the structural framework of its approximately $2 billion biomanufacturing facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina, marking a construction milestone for the company’s first manufacturing site on the U.S. East Coast.

The ceremony follows the project’s initial investment announcement in May 2025, groundbreaking in August 2025, and an expansion announcement in January 2026. Once operational, the facility is expected to manufacture treatments for metabolic conditions such as obesity.

The facility will incorporate biomanufacturing, automation, robotics, and digital manufacturing technologies. Genentech also plans to use an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered digital twin, a virtual model of the facility designed to simulate manufacturing operations and test scenarios before they are implemented in the physical plant.

According to the announcement, the project is expected to support more than 2,000 jobs, including over 1,500 construction positions and more than 500 manufacturing roles. Genentech is working with local academic institutions to develop workforce training for manufacturing positions involving AI, robotics, automation, engineering, laboratory operations, maintenance, and warehousing.

The drugmaker said the facility is expected to strengthen its U.S.-based manufacturing and supply chain capabilities as the company expands production of newer therapies.

The Holly Springs investment is part of Roche and Genentech’s broader $50 billion commitment to U.S. research and development and manufacturing infrastructure. The companies currently operate 13 manufacturing sites and 15 R&D sites domestically, with approximately 25,000 employees across 24 locations in eight states.