AN EAST COAST ESTABLISHMENT
Biotechnology company Genentech, whose parent company is Switzerland-based Roche Group, has announced plans for a new manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina. The $700 million project will be the company’s first location in the state, while simultaneously becoming its first East Coast manufacturing site, focusing on high-volume fill/finish production for Genentech’s metabolic medicines portfolio. “Our new facility near Raleigh, North Carolina, an established biopharmaceutical talent hub, will serve as an important new setting within our manufacturing network to help deliver on the promise of our company’s life-changing science and industry-leading pipeline,” said Genentech CEO Ashley Magargee. “We are thrilled to establish this relationship with the city of Holly Springs, where we expect to have a positive impact on the local economy and community, as we have across the United States since we pioneered the biotech industry nearly 50 years ago.” Genentech will construct a 700,000-sq.-ft. plant on a site that will support future expansions, as needed. Once complete, the project will create 420 new jobs in the region.
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TIKTOK UPLOADS IN FINLAND
There’s nothing more gripping than announcing your arrival with a $1.1 billion investment, which is exactly how popular social media platform TikTok has introduced itself to Finland. The subsidiary of China-based internet technology company ByteDance recently shared news of its plans for a new data center development to be constructed in the city of Kouvola, located in Finland’s Kymenlaakso region. The move comes as part of the company’s $13.3 billion Project Clover initiative, seeking to ensure data protection for European users and secure global data flow. Ahead of the new investment announcement, TikTok had just launched its second Project Clover data center in Hamar, Norway, in April 2025, following its initial development in Dublin, Ireland. Finland was selected due to its strong digital infrastructure, clean energy mix, robust data governance and skilled tech talent, according to the company’s official release (alas, no post about TikTok on TikTok itself). Independent cybersecurity company NCC Group will be responsible for overseeing monitoring across these Project Clover locations, implementing strict access controls and advanced technical safeguards to protect data privacy. Once complete, these data centers will support TikTok’s base of 175 million Europe-based users.
Photo courtesy of Rivian
THE NORMAL SUPPLY
Rivian looks to attract a wave of EV suppliers near its Illinois operations with the construction of a new supplier park in Normal. The automotive manufacturer will invest $120 million into the site, which makes room to house local suppliers producing parts for Rivian’s R1 and R2 models. The move aims to streamline operations and boost consistency as the park is located just across Highway 150 from the company’s manufacturing campus. “We are excited to see this supplier park coming together so quickly,” said Rivian Founder and CEO RJ Scaringe. “This will be a key enabler to increasing production at the plant in 2026 when we start to build R2 in addition to R1 and our commercial vans.” Rivian has received a $16 million incentive package from the state’s Reimagining Energy and Vehicles tax incentive to support the project. The new park is slated for completion in 2026, creating 100 new jobs.
Reports compiled and written by Alexis Elmore
