Premier BioSource, an agriculture biosciences company specializing in the production of research-purposed swine, is breaking ground today on its first Indiana farming operation in Rensselaer.
The Ramona, CA-based company will invest nearly $7.5 million to construct and equip a 78,000-square-foot, 600-sow, farrow-to-finish farm operation in Jasper County. Premier BioSource’s pigs will be used solely for biomedical research and product development, contributing to advancements in heart stents, cardiac repair and rejuvenation, diabetes and insulin research, and surgical procedures. With plans to be operational by June 2019, the facility will house 4,752 pigs at full capacity and supply the company’s eastern U.S. client base.
Premier BioSource has 11 employees across the U.S. and plans to add up to 21 new jobs in Indiana. The company will begin hiring in 2019 for positions in animal care and transportation services.
“Indiana was a perfect fit for Premier BioSource because of its friendly business environment and rich agricultural heritage,” said Mark Bousema, president of Premier BioSource. “Couple that with Rensselaer’s close proximity to our customers and access to quality labor, this was an easy choice for our company.”
Premier BioSource raises top-quality swine, which share many physiological and anatomical similarities with humans, for the biomedical research community. Through its partnership with Indiana-based Summit Livestock Facilities, the company’s Jasper County farm operation will be designed to facilitate regulatory compliance, improve animal health and production, enhance operational efficiencies and address social concerns.
“With our strong agricultural tradition and thriving life sciences sector, Indiana offers a winning solution for companies like Premier BioSource who provide high-quality swine to research institutions across the U.S.,” said Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, who also serves as Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “We are excited Premier BioSource chose to locate here in Indiana, and I am confident that our hardworking Hoosier workforce will help propel their future success.”
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) offered S&S Farms, LP (dba Premier BioSource) up to $130,000 in conditional tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans. These incentives are performance-based, so until employees are hired, the company is not eligible to claim the incentives. The Jasper County Commissioners and Jasper County Economic Development Organization also support the project.
“Jasper County is a leader in Indiana’s agriculture sector, consistently being a top producer in both crops and livestock,” said Jasper County Commissioner Kendell Culp, who serves as vice president of the Indiana Farm Bureau. “Premier BioSource is a state-of-the-art company. We are pleased that they chose to locate in Jasper County; our strong work ethic and commitment to 21st century agriculture makes us an agribusiness hot spot.”
Indiana’s agriculture and agribusiness industry supports more than 107,000 jobs and contributes an estimated $31 billion to the state’s economy annually. In addition, the state has earned a reputation as a global leader in the life sciences industry, ranking second in the nation in worldwide exports according to BioCrossroads and the Indiana Business Research Center.
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