After more than two years of efforts, the time has come for relief at the GSK site located in Evreux (Eure). The Normandy factory, which has around 1,100 employees (nearly a third of GSK employees in France), was selected by the British pharmaceutical group to produce the new generation of low-carbon Ventoline inhalers developed by the “Big Pharma”, its flagship treatment to relieve asthma. A significant investment: up to 350 million euros will be injected into the Evreux factory by 2025.
“ Without this investment, the site would have struggled to survive over time. », underlines its director, Philippe Doucet. The Normandy factory, which has been manufacturing in its Ventoline buildings for more than half a century, was in competition with three other sites of the group, in the United States, Spain and the United Kingdom, to win the project of “Green Ventolin”. Come to celebrate, Friday October 20, this “ industrial victory » in his former stronghold, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, former deputy for Eure, did not hide his pride. “ It is an investment model, virtuous for the environment and the economy”he clarified in front of employees and local elected officials.
The Bercy tenant has fought hard, since 2021, with GSK’s global management to tip the scales in favor of the Euro site, one of the “economic lungs” of the Norman city. At the end of February, he had already made the trip to assure the factory of government support. The State should finance the project for this new production to the tune of several tens of millions of euros.
Old rehabilitated wasteland
“Of course there is public money that will be put into this investment. I have no shame in saying it loud and clear”confirmed the minister, before emphasizing: “ LThe Chinese do this, the Americans do this. It was perhaps time for France in turn, and Europe in turn, to say to themselves that, to bring in private investment, it is not bad for there to also be public support to guarantee solidity and profitability of this investment. »
This investment of 350 million euros is in addition to the 400 million euros in expenses planned by 2025 for all three sites of the pharmaceutical group established in France (Evreux, Saint-Amand-les-Eaux, Mayenne ), and which were announced by the laboratory during the Choose France summit in May.
In Evreux, the project “Green Ventolin” has already started. On the building site where three new filling lines will be installed − “maybe even four”indicates the site boss -, around forty workers have been working since June to rehabilitate a former 3,000 square meter wasteland.
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