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Obiter Breaks Ground in Champaign
Champaign—Terran
Enterprises, LLC broke ground on July 20,
2006 in Champaign on a research facility at
2809 Gemini Court. The facility will be for
Obiter Research and is the first phase
of the two-phase project. The first phase
of the project will be a 19,400 square foot
facility that will support small-scale
chemistry and mid-scale process
manufacturing; capital investment is
anticipated to reach approximately $4
million. The second phase of the project
will triple the capacity of the phase one
expansion. The capital investment of this
phase is projected at $13 million and is
expected to kick off in four to six years.
Dr.
William Boulanger, founder and president of
Obiter, recalled how the company began in
two rooms of the Technology
Commercialization Lab “and soon found our
stride.” He noted, “We’ve grown beyond the
capacity of EnterpriseWorks and must now
create a new home for ourselves.” That new
home will include two six-person research
modules, a unit operations area, an
analytical lab, cGMP lab provisions, and an
area for FDA-approved pharmaceutical
production. He noted that Obiter is one of
the few downstate facilities that are hiring
organic chemists. “This groundbreaking marks
the first stride into independence,” he
stated.
Naomi
Jakobsson, State Representative for the 103rd
District, thanked Dr. Boulanger and Scott
Pickard, Manager of Research Park &
Incubation Facilities at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign “for showing
that incubators truly do work.”
Obiter
is the first company to graduate from the
EnterpriseWorks business incubator on the
campus of UIUC. Obiter has been a charter
member of the incubator since it opened in
2003.
“It’s
only fitting that the progeny of those
fertile seeds be sown right here in this
fertile soil,” said Phil Bloomer,
communications director for U.S. Congressman
Timothy Johnson.
Scott
Pickard, Manager of Research Park &
Incubation Facilities at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign thanked Dr.
Boulanger and the Obiter staff for their
vision and dedication. “On behalf of
everyone, what a good feeling it is for us
to see the success of your company; we hope
the 29 other companies [at Enterprise Works]
find the same success that Obiter has,” he
said, adding thanks to Dr. Boulanger and
Obiter for choosing to invest in Champaign
County and noting that building a new
facility on the scale of Obiter’s “can be a
risky endeavor to take, but the rewards can
be outstanding.” Pickard also praised
Boulanger and Obiter for “being good
citizens of the incubator,” stating: “Obiter
has been very supportive and very helpful.
Part of Bill’s leadership style is to give
back, and our incubator and staff are better
for it.”
See Obiter slideshow
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