Eli Lilly announces $6 billion pharmaceutical manufacturing investment in Huntsville

Published on December 9, 2025

The City of Huntsville is proud to welcome Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) to North Alabama! The global pharmaceutical leader announced plans to invest more than $6 billion in a next-generation manufacturing facility in Huntsville – the largest industrial private investment ever made in the State of Alabama.

The advanced facility will be constructed on a 260-acre site at the northeast corner of I-565 and Greenbrier Parkway in Huntsville-Limestone County. Lilly’s campus will focus on domestic production of small molecule synthetic and peptide medicines, including oral GLP-1 products. Once operational, the project will create 450 high-value jobs, including engineers, scientists, operations personnel and lab technicians.

“Eli Lilly’s decision to invest $6 billion in a next-generation pharmaceutical manufacturing facility here in Huntsville is a tremendous vote of confidence in our people and our future,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. “Huntsville has long been a place where innovation thrives and hard, ‘impossible’ things get done. We’re proud to welcome Lilly to our community and excited to help shape the next era of breakthrough medicine.”

Construction is expected to begin in 2026, with completion in 2032. This will be the third of four new U.S. manufacturing facilities Lilly plans to announce, bringing the company’s total U.S. capital expansion commitments to more than $50 billion since 2020.

Lilly officials said Huntsville’s workforce, infrastructure and innovation culture were decisive factors.

“Huntsville’s track record of high-tech innovation, supported by advanced manufacturing expertise and a skilled workforce, makes Alabama an ideal location for Lilly to expand domestic manufacturing capacity for next-generation medicines,” said David A. Ricks, Lilly chair and CEO. “Today’s investment continues the onshoring of active pharmaceutical ingredient production, strengthening supply chain resilience and reliable access to medicines for patients in the U.S. and worldwide.”

State and regional partners also celebrated the milestone.

• “The jobs and investment that Lilly is making in Limestone County will have a positive impact for generations,” said Limestone County Commission Chairman Collin Daly. “This project is a big win for the whole region.”
• “Today’s announcement is the result of years of preparation in our life sciences sector with partners across our region,” said Lucia Cape, Senior VP of Economic Development & Workforce for the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber.
• “Huntsville is proud to welcome Lilly to our innovative community,” added Jeff Samz, 2025 Chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors and CEO of Huntsville Hospital Health System. “The abundance of talent and quality of life we enjoy here are key to location decisions, and this announcement is a positive reflection on our collective efforts to grow in a smart way.”

With this transformational project, Huntsville continues building on more than three decades of biotech growth – from Qualitest and Vintage Pharmaceuticals to HudsonAlpha’s world-class institute, Discovery Life Sciences and Glaukos – further cementing the region as a national center for advanced biotechnology and pharmaceutical innovation.

“Huntsville and our entire state have a proven legacy of innovation, and there is no better home for Lilly than right here in Alabama. Our roots in the biosciences industry run deep, and Alabama’s contributions to this burgeoning sector continue,” said Governor Kay Ivey.

Alabama’s bioscience sector generates more than $7.3 billion in annual economic impact, supports over 1,800 bioscience enterprises, and employs more than 15,000 people statewide, according to Alabama Department of Commerce data.

Based in Indianapolis, Lilly has operations in more than 110 countries and 40,000 employees worldwide. The company is a global leader in treatments involving diabetes, obesity, oncology, immunology and neuroscience, and seeks to expand domestic capacity for active pharmaceutical ingredient production for its highest priority therapies.

At the new Huntsville facility, Lilly plans to deploy state-of-the-art technologies, including machine learning, AI, digitally integrated monitoring systems and advanced data analytics. Digital automation will be embedded throughout the site to streamline operations and help ensure a reliable supply of safe, high-quality medicines.

Mayor Battle noted the historic significance of the announcement, adding that Huntsville’s role in biotechnology today mirrors the transformational arrival of Mercedes in Alabama two decades ago.

“That decision changed Alabama’s trajectory forever, helping make us a national leader in automotive manufacturing. Lilly’s decision will do the same for next-generation medicine and advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing,” he said.