Bayer's new plans at Victory Road revealed
The new tenant of the Victory Road Industrial Park is a mystery no more, as Bayer unmasked itself Tuesday.
According to a news release, Bayer plans to build a 220,000-square-foot distribution center to support its Bayer Radiology global business that supplies medical device products worldwide.
“The center will not only allow for future growth of our radiology business, but will enable us to continue to invest in the local Pittsburgh community,” said Jeff Owoc, Bayer senior vice president and global head of medical device operations.
Clinton Township supervisors at their September meeting approved a plan presented by the developer SunCap Property Group of Pittsburgh for the building.
Joe Saeler, director of the Community Development Corporation of Butler County, said he was excited about expansion within the park, which the CDC bought from U.S. Steel in 1999.
Saeler said he looks forward to working with and helping SunCap develop the property for the new building.
“This is a big win for Butler County with jobs and growth,” Saeler said.
Bayer has approximately 1,300 employees in the Greater Pittsburgh Area that support the radiology business and other global operations.
According to Jennifer May, a regional spokeswoman for Bayer, the Saxonburg manufacturing site employes about 340 people, and the future distribution center will employ about 44 FedEx employees.
“We are excited to build upon our presence in Butler County, with the construction of this new distribution center,” May said. “The center will not only allow for future growth of our radiology business, but will enable us to continue to invest in the local community through employment and community engagement activities.”
According to the release, the company is negotiating a 10-year lease with optional extensions. The facility would have flexibility for growth, including an additional expansion option of up to 80,000 square feet.
The center will warehouse and distribute Bayer medical supplies manufactured locally. Bayer already has a radiation oncology processing facility in the Victory Road Industrial Park. The new distribution center will be within a mile of the Saxonburg manufacturing site.
The company's lease at the current distribution center in New Galilee is set to expire in March 2022.
Bayer also noted that FedEx Supply Chain will operate and staff the facility, which will include 28 loading docks, one drive-in dock, one compactor, 60 tractor-trailer staging areas, and administrative office spaces.
