PharmaceuticalsNorth Chicago, IllinoisAnnouncement date · Aug 12, 2025

North Chicago Chemical Synthesis API Facility

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AbbVie broke ground September 29, 2025 on a $195 million chemical-synthesis active pharmaceutical ingredient facility at its North Chicago campus in Lake County, Illinois. Announced August 12, 2025, the plant will return API production for select neuroscience, immunology and oncology medicines from Europe and Asia to the United States and is expected to be fully operational in 2027. Illinois identifies a 50-new-full-time-job commitment for this first API project. AFT records it separately from AbbVie's February 2026 $380 million announcement because each announcement funds distinct physical API facilities, has its own timeline, and Illinois separately identifies 50 jobs for this first project and 300 for the later two-facility phase. Existing North Chicago employment, state EDGE tax credits and AbbVie's $10 billion / $100 billion corporate commitments are excluded.

Investment
$195.0M
Permanent jobs announced
50
Status
Under Construction
Expected opening
2027
Why this project qualifies

With $195 million in facility-specific investment, this project clears AFT's $100 million investment threshold (AFT includes any project meeting $100 million in facility-specific investment OR 100 permanent operating jobs). It is also confirmed by official public sources and involves a physical manufacturing facility in the United States.

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Why it matters

The pharmaceuticals context.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers are committing billions to new U.S. production capacity for active ingredients, injectable medicines, biologics and other high-demand treatments. North Carolina and Indiana remain major centers of investment, while new facilities are being planned across the South. The current project pipeline includes both large greenfield campuses and major expansions of established production sites.

Project record

At a glance

Company
AbbVie
Industry
Pharmaceuticals
Location
North Chicago, Illinois
Investment
$195.0M
Permanent jobs announced
50
Status
Under Construction
Announced
Aug 12, 2025
Expected opening
2027
Added to tracker
Sep 1, 2026
Sources

Official references

Cite this project

American Factory Tracker. "North Chicago Chemical Synthesis API Facility — AbbVie, North Chicago, IL." https://americanfactorytracker.com/projects/abbvie-north-chicago-chemical-synthesis-api-facility. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Please also cite the original sources listed above for underlying figures.

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