Melville -- Huntington Supervisor Frank P. Petrone and Councilman Mark Cuthbertson met recently with officials of Fougera Pharmaceuticals to discuss the details of the company’s proposed $88 million expansion of its location on Baylis Road.
The project will include expanding, renovating and adding 30,000 square feet to the existing location, allowing the company to consolidate its local operations at one site. Currently, the company has operations in both Melville and Hicksville. The new facility will house manufacturing, research and development, support and administrative offices, with expanded capacity to handle increased production in the future. The project, which is scheduled to break ground later this year and be completed in the year 2020, will retain almost 400 jobs and give the firm room for additional growth.
“We are pleased that Fougera has decided to stay on Long Island and expand at its Melville location and we look forward to helping the company through the permit process so the project can be completed as quickly as possible,” Supervisor Petrone said. “Fougera is the type of company that has helped make the Melville corridor Long Island’s corporate employment center, and we hope that other companies will follow Fougera’s example and expand or relocate here.”
“As the Town explores updates to its Melville development plan, we look to companies such as Fourgera, with its well-paid, highly-trained workforce in a growing industry, as a key element in the future corporate mix,” Councilman Cuthbertson said.
Fougera, which has been located on Long Island since the company’s inception in 1849, manufactures more than 200 branded and generic semi-solid creams, ointments and lotions treating such dermatological ailments as eczema, acne and psoriasis. Its parent company, Sandoz, is a leader in the manufacture of generic dermatology medicines in the United States.
:
“Fougera has called Long Island home since the company’s inception in 1849. Therefore, we are extremely happy to be able to continue our longstanding partnership with the local community and the state of New York,” said Evelyn Marchany Garcia, Fougera’s Vice President and Site Head. “This move shows our true commitment to Long Island and its economic development. Equally true, Fougera is a vital component to Sandoz and Novartis’ future growth plans and strategies, with its volume projected to increase substantially over the next five years. The decision for consolidation and expansion within one site was a strategic one intended to optimize our manufacturing infrastructure. Consolidating our sites sets the Melville site up for long-term viability and contributes considerable value to Sandoz. We look forward to working with Huntington as we get into the details of the plan.”
In the photo: (L-R) George Schwab, executive director, quality, Fougera; Evelyn Marchany Garcia, vice president, technical operations and site head, Fougera; Supervisor Frank P. Petrone; and Councilman Mark Cuthbertson.