In a twist on the "outsource jobs overseas" theme, Minnesota officials are celebrating the opening of a clinical testing facility in Dilworth, Minnesota, owned by Axis Clinicals of India.
The plant will employ 100 workers at a former Wal-Mart site in Dilworth, which is just east of Moorhead. Clinical trials will conducted there for pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies.
State Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben was in Dilworth today touring the facility, along with the Axis CEO Dr. Yati Chugh.
If the company meets its hiring goals, it will get $780,000 for the expansion from the state's Job Creation Fund, which provides up to $1 million to businesses after they meet certain criteria, including minimum requirements for job creation and private investments. Businesses must create at least 10 full-time jobs and invest at least $500,000 to be eligible for financial assistance.
Axis Clinicals, headquartered in Hyderabad, India, has 350 employees at research and analysis facilities in the United States, India, Mexico and Thailand.
In a statement, Gov. Mark Dayton said:
“Axis Clinicals’ expansion is great news for Dilworth and great news for Minnesota. It is the best news for the 100 Minnesotans who will go to work in new, good-paying jobs."