Boehringer Ingelheim, a leading provider of animal health products for pets and livestock, announced investments totaling more than $80 million to expand its existing facilities in Athens, Ga., and St. Joseph, Mo., to accommodate increased production of animal vaccines.

Boehringer Ingelheim’s facility in Athens will grow from its current footprint of approximately 350,000 sq. ft. to 400,000 sq. ft. and will nearly double its filling capacity for companion animal and avian vaccines. Construction is slated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2017 and will continue through 2019, with commercial production anticipated to begin in the second half of 2019. The facility, which was established in 1989, currently employs approximately 400 people, including the research and development operations also based there. An additional 50 positions are expected tp be added over the next three years to support the expansion, the company said.

Construction at the St. Joseph facility also will begin in the fourth quarter of 2017 on a 13,000 sq. ft. expansion to accommodate increased production of livestock animal vaccines sold in the U.S. and globally. The manufacturing operation is part of a 700,000 sq. ft. total campus in St. Joseph, which also includes a warehouse, research and development and other support functions. The expansion is slated for completion in the second half of 2019 and is anticipated to create an additional 20 jobs over the next few years to support the increased capacity, Boehringer Ingelheim said.

“The vaccines manufactured today in Athens and St. Joseph make a major difference for both the pets and livestock animals of our customers. The company has pioneered many important advancements in vaccines, and we continue to focus on health and prevention as core principles of our Animal Health business,” said Veronique Kodjo, global head of industrial operations for Boehringer Ingelheim’s Animal Health business. “These significant investments in expansion and capacity ensure that we can continue to support our future business growth areas.”

Albrecht Kissel, president of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Animal Health business in the U.S., added, “With the closing of the Merial acquisition at the beginning of 2017, Boehringer Ingelheim is now the second-largest animal health company in the world. The investments we are announcing today are part of our continued commitment to our customers and to the communities in which we operate, and they further strengthen our presence in the U.S.”

Boehringer Ingelheim has 10 sites focused on animal health in the U.S., including manufacturing, research and development and commercial operations. The St. Joseph facility is the company’s largest animal health manufacturing operation globally and recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of its presence in the community. Boehringer Ingelheim also has a significant presence in Georgia with its facility in Athens, an additional manufacturing site located in Gainesville, Ga., and the headquarters for its U.S. Animal Health business based in Duluth, Ga.