Noble Life Sciences opens new, expanded facility in Gaithersburg
The Maryland-based contract research organisation (CRO) cited rapid growth since its inception in 2010 as the driving factor behind the decision to move from its old base in nearby Rockville.
The company, which currently has five full-time employees, said it plans to create 25 new jobs over the next three years.
“Our initial location at the Shady Grove Innovation Centre allowed us to focus on growing the business and enabled us to move into this great new, expanded Gaithersburg facility,” said Ken Carter, president and CEO of Noble.
“The concentration of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, leading academic institutions and federal agencies found in Maryland, and in particular Montgomery County, made our decision easy to locate our new facility here.”
Luminaries
The opening ceremony in Gaithersburg was attended by a number of Maryland luminaries, including executive director of the Maryland Biotechnology Centre, Judith Britz, state senator, Jennie Forehand, and Montgomery County executive, Isiah Leggett.
Leggett said Noble’s continuing success reflected well on Montgomery. The county has encouraged investment in the biotech sector through development grants and tax initiatives for fledgling companies.
“The story of Noble Life Sciences is one we never tire of telling here in Montgomery County,” he said.
“It’s this type of business-savvy, serial biotech entrepreneur that has helped Montgomery county emerge as one of the nation’s leading biotech hubs, with some 330 biotech companies. I congratulate Ken and his team on their latest venture.”
Foundations
The foundations for Noble’s move to Gaithersburg were laid at the beginning of April, when specialist healthcare industry real estate agents, Scheer Partners, negotiated a 78-month lease for the site at 22 Firstfield Road on its behalf.
Noble will share the 50,000 sq. ft. building with a number of other biotech companies, including vaccine developer, Intercell, and the non-profit bioresource centre (BRC), ATCC, but will maintain a small amount of space at its old Rockville, MD, premises.
