Governor Quinn Announces JCL Bioassay Opens North American Headquarters in Illinois

CHICAGO – May 21, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today announced that Japanese biopharmaceutical company JCL Bioassay USA, Inc. is locating its North American headquarters and its first-ever domestic facility in Hoffman Estates. This move will bring 30 new jobs to the region over the next two years.

“JCL’s decision to locate in Illinois reiterates that Illinois is a place of innovation and great opportunity,” said Governor Quinn. “Our investments in high-growth industries, like the life sciences, are key to strengthening our economy and creating jobs in the 21st century.”

In addition to establishing headquarters in Illinois, JCL also opened a biotechnology laboratory at the site. The flagship laboratory is the company’s first lab outside of Japan.

“Illinois was a clear choice for JCL to locate its North American headquarters and first overseas bioanalytical lab. Ease of accessibility, support of our vision and the state’s competitive incentive plan made our decision simple,” said Michael C. Kennedy, VP of Sales & COO, JCL Bioassay USA, Inc. “These factors will help us extend the same high quality work, real-time response, and reliable data to the U.S. that our parent company has provided to pharmaceutical companies in Japan for more than a decade.”

The state is providing an approximately $731,000 investment package in the form of Economic Development for a Growing Economy tax credits and job training funds. The company will also benefit from local tax incentives for being located in an Enterprise Zone. This investment will leverage nearly $9.1 million in private investment by the company.

JCL’s move will also support Illinois’ growing life sciences industry. Illinois’ bioscience industry, which is supported by the state’s federal labs and research universities, employs more than 57,000 people in the state.

“The success of the 2010 BIO Convention in Chicago this month and recent investments by biotech companies is evidence that Illinois is a major player in the life sciences industry,” said DCEO Director Warren Ribley. “This investment is another example of our commitment to seeing this industry grow and prosper.”

DCEO’s Office of Trade and Investment, which was instrumental in JCL’s decision to locate in Illinois, works to attract essential foreign investment to Illinois. Illinois ranks first in the Midwest in foreign direct investment.

JCL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JCL Bioassay Corporation, is the leading Japanese bioanalytical contract research organization, providing microscale analytical services to the pharmaceutical industry in support of new drug development.