Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) will locate its North America and U.S. Animal Health headquarters in Duluth, Ga. as part of its integration planning with Sanofi’s animal health business (“Merial”), upon the closing of the Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) asset swap signed in June 2016.

The U.S. Animal Health leadership team will headquarter at the existing Merial facility in Duluth, while the vast majority of St. Joseph employees will remain unaffected. The St. Joseph site will continue as a critical part of the integrated business and will operate as the largest animal health employer in the KC Animal Health Corridor.

“Following the close of this transaction, we will become the second largest animal health player in the world,” said Dr. Albrecht Kissel, president and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. “An Atlanta-area headquarters will allow us to stay more closely connected to our U.S. and international operations, teams and clients, fostering greater collaboration and interconnectedness around the globe. We look forward to being a partner of Duluth, the greater Atlanta area and the State of Georgia, while continuing our vibrant presence in St. Joseph.”

Situated in the center of Georgia’s ‘innovation crescent’ spanning from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Athens, the Duluth, Ga. headquarters has been a part of the northeast metro Atlanta community for 15 years. With easy access to the world’s most-traveled airport, the region’s top research institutions and neighboring sites in Gainesville, Ga. and Athens, Ga., the Duluth headquarters sits squarely in the area’s leading technology and bioscience hub.

The Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. site in St. Joseph will continue to research, develop, manufacture and export animal health products, with the site remaining one of the company’s largest U.S. operations. The company will remain active in the vibrant animal health community, collaborating with the industry and continuing partnerships with numerous universities, including Missouri Western State University, the University of Missouri and Kansas State University. Between 2010 and 2015, the company invested nearly $160 million in its St. Joseph operations and will remain committed to this site.