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Press Release
Mérieux NutriSciences relocates food testing laboratory and brings 100 jobs
Mérieux NutriSciences, a leading international network of accredited food testing laboratories, announced today that it will begin relocation plans to move its food testing facility from southwest Gainesville to a 22,700 square foot location one mile east of downtown Gainesville, close to the University of Florida campus. The new location, slated to open in April 2017 will be a hub for future growth for the labs’ several restaurant and nutrition-based services and clients.
Mérieux NutriSciences acquired ABC Research in 2015 with the goal of establishing a nutritional testing center of excellence. The Gainesville laboratory is designed to provide microbiology and nutritional chemistry testing, Food Safety and Quality Research Services to restaurant chains, foodservice providers, and food manufacturers located primarily in the Southeastern United States. Mérieux NutriSciences President for North America, Jim Miller states, “The new lab, joined with the dedicated Gainesville management team and highly skilled staff, will help support the diversified needs of the food industry for years to come.”
Gateway Development and Concept Companies will serve as developers on the project which is aimed to open in April 2017 on Hawthorn Road in East Gainesville at the Cornerstone site. Other partners involved include the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Council for Economic Outreach, Gainesville Community Redevelopment Agency and The City of Gainesville.
“Mérieux NutriSciences could have chosen to grow in any city it wanted, and we are so pleased that it has chosen to grow in Gainesville,” said Rory Causseaux, Chair of the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Council for Economic Outreach. “Having a leading global food testing innovator such as Mérieux NutriSciences is a win for both the company, which stands to benefit from the research and innovation capabilities of the University of Florida and for our community, for which this announcement represents a new opportunity to build upon its reputation as a leading U.S. agricultural sciences hub.”
The company is retaining 70 jobs in the Greater Gainesville Region and has plans to add 30 new jobs over the next two years.
