Company Profile: Genentech
by Linda Barney
Introducing Genentech
Genentech has been delivering on the promise of biotechnology for more than 30 years, using human genetic information to discover, develop, manufacture and commercialize medicines to treat patients with serious or life-threatening medical conditions. In March 2009, Genentech became a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. As part of their merger agreement, Roche and Genentech combined their pharmaceutical operations in the United States. Genentech's South San Francisco campus now serves as the headquarters for Roche pharmaceutical operations in the United States. Genentech broke ground on its first Oregon facility in 2006.
A growing partner in the Oregon biotech community
“When Genentech purchased its Oregon property in 2006, our initial plan was to construct a new state-of-the-art fill/finish facility,” said Barry Starkman, senior director and plant manager of Genentech’s Hillsboro facility. After Genentech made this decision, the company expanded the plan and built a new West Coast warehouse and distribution center at the Hillsboro site, which was operational in July 2008. The manufacturing facility will be licensed and operational in 2011.
Genentech has created hundreds of jobs for highly skilled workers in Hillsboro. The company currently employs more than 250 people and expects to employ approximately 300 by 2015. The company also supports workforce development through Portland Community College (PCC), which is helping provide technical training for Oregonians to work in the biotechnology industry. About half of the technician-level positions at Genentech’s Hillsboro site have been filled with students from the PCC program.
“Genentech is committed to supplier diversity, and has specific procurement goals to purchase supplies from local vendors. In addition, we’re actively recruiting and regularly update our careers website as new positions open up,” stated Starkman.
Oregon state and local governments reach out
Genentech selected Oregon and Hillsboro as a location for its fill/finish facility due to its advantageous business environment, exemplified by its favorable tax climate as a single-sales factor state.
Wilson explained, “Because Oregon changed corporate income taxation to what is known as single-sales-factor, our taxable income is based on sales only (instead of a combination of sales and the number of jobs or buildings in the state), effectively not penalizing Genentech and companies like ours for adding jobs and facilities in the state of Oregon. In addition, we selected Oregon and Hillsboro because of the available development-ready land with adequate infrastructure to support our needs and ease and efficiency in permitting. Oregon helps us mitigate location risk and offers a high-quality available labor force and a favorable location with proximity to Genentech’s South San Francisco headquarters.”
Alliances within local communities form key strategy for success
Developing alliances has been one of Genentech's key strategies for success from its inception. Several marketed products and products in clinical development have arisen from successful collaborations. Genentech considers collaborations wherever there is excellent science and the potential for a good strategic fit. Genentech is dedicated to bringing considerable resources to the alliance, and is open to different collaboration structures.
Genentech connects with other companies through its memberships with the Oregon Bioscience Association (OBA) and the Greater Hillsboro Area Chamber of Commerce. Barry Starkman serves on the boards of both organizations.
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Genentech is also an underwriting sponsor of the OBA. Genentech works closely with its partners at the OBA to enhance the state of bioscience in Oregon. In addition, Genentech is working with other Oregon bioscience companies and academic medical institutions to support and grow the life science sector.
Genentech supports the local community
“Genentech is committed to being a strong corporate citizen by harnessing our unique resources, both financial and human, to contribute to the best interests of patients, the medical profession, our employees and our communities,” said Colleen Wilson, director of community and patient programs
Genentech provides funding to a wide variety of local organizations and initiatives through charitable contributions and supports group employee volunteer activities. For example, Genentech has an active partnership with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Children’s Cancer Association (CCA) to raise funds for cancer programs through the
Block Out Cancer
program.
Wilson continued, “We introduced the
Genentech Goes to Town
program in Hillsboro last year to support the local community by encouraging employees to get to know local businesses in the communities in which they live and work. This program was first launched in South San Francisco in 1993 and supports our communities by providing employees with special ‘GenenMoney’ to spend at local businesses.”
Oregon Genentech employees volunteered more than 900 hours with nonprofit organizations in the Portland area last year alone and held food, warm coat and toy drives during the 2009 holiday season.
For more information about Genentech:
About the author: Linda Barney
is the founder and owner of Barney and Associates, a technical and marketing writing firm. Founded in 1990, Barney and Associates specializes in technical writing, web content and training. Barney and Associates also provides a wide range of marketing writing services including creating media articles, podcasts, video scripts, white papers, data sheets, solution briefs, scientific content, case studies, web content and reviewer’s guides. Contact Linda at
linda@barneyassoc.com.