Pharmacia & Upjohn builds U.S. headquarters on the East Coast

KALAMAZOO, MI - Pharmacia & Upjohn will create a global operational headquarters on the East Coast, the company announced.

The new headquarters will be the central location for all corporate functions, as well as prescription pharmaceutical marketing and sales organization for the company's North American operations.

Although a site has not been selected, favored states include New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and others in the mid-Atlantic region, according to company spokesperson Rick Chambers. "We're trying to do this as quickly as we can but we also want to find the right site for our needs," Chambers said.

"We want to be situated in the global center of the pharmaceutical industry," he said. "That will strengthen our presence in the most important pharmaceutical industry in the world - the United States - and give us broader access to the skills and talents of the industry."

Despite the company's goal to position itself in a region rich with talented salespeople, Pharmacia & Upjohn has not revealed any plans to expand its sales force. "What this does is more effectively integrate sales and marketing management," Chambers said. "That will help us build the strong resources we need to launch new products."

Once headquarters are developed, the sales and marketing organization offices for prescription pharmaceutical products will move from Kalamazoo to the new site. Research and development, manufacturing and supply and associated business offices will remain based in Kalamazoo.

The company's existing infrastructures in Stockholm and Milan will not be affected by the new headquarters, but the current management center in Windsor, England will close.

The creation of a new headquarters will enhance the company's overall competitiveness, make its infrastructure more cost-efficient and provide swift, decisive leadership, according to an official statement released by the company.

It will also reflect the company's strategy to reverse its "disappointing sales and earnings by aggressively growing in the United States - the largest and most profitable market," chief executive officer Fred Hassan said. "It will allow us to ensure the success of critical new product launches such as Detrusitol for urinary incontinence…[and provide] access to the largest concentration of the pharmaceutical industry's sales and marketing talent in the world." PR