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VIA: Philadelphia Business Journal

After more than two years of deciding where to locate a major distribution center and exploring other sites, Teva Pharmaceuticals USA will construct a massive $300 million distribution center off Red Lion Road in Northeast Philadelphia.

Denise Bradley, spokeswoman for the Israeli-based generic pharmaceutical company, confirmed the company selected the site but declined to offer details until an official announcement expected Thursday that will be attended by Mayor Michael Nutter and other dignitaries.

The move would be a boost for Philadelphia. More than 200 jobs are expected to be created and 200 jobs that the company has just over the Philadelphia border in Montgomery County would be preserved. Details on whether the company received tax and other incentives couldn’t be confirmed. At the new site, Teva will have three buildings totaling 1.2 million square feet and won’t be far from its current facilities, its U.S. headquarters in Montgomery County.

The selection of the Red Lion Road property closed a long, tumultuous search for a new distribution center. The company was eyeing the Northeast Philadelphia site since spring when Gov. Ed Rendell got involved in ensuring the company could find a viable location to expand its presence. Before, the company seemed to meet resistance at every turn.

Its distribution center site search took it to Warrington, Pa., earlier this year. At Warrington, Teva would have constructed a 1 million-square-foot facility on a 156-acre tract between Limekiln Pike and Lower State Road near the Eureka Quarry. That parcel was near its current headquarters in North Wales.

At one point, Teva eyed the Willow Grove Naval Air Station in Horsham, Pa., as a leading choice because the base was in the process of being shut down. However, nearby residents worried about air traffic the company would produce at the base. Residents of Warrington also opposed the company’s plans.

Teva has a significant local presence. In addition to its U.S. headquarters, which also houses a warehousing and distribution center, Teva has a large manufacturing and research facility in Sellersville, Pa., and offices in Horsham, Chalfont and Bryn Mawr, Pa. It has 1,500 employees in Bucks and Montgomery counties.

The company, a division of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. of Israel, markets more than 300 products in a variety of therapeutic areas and generates $11.1 billion in global sales.

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