Pharmaceutical contract manufacturer Jubilant HollisterStier LLC expects to complete the final phase of a $285 million expansion later this year.

Once finished, the multiyear project will have doubled Jubilant HollisterStier’s total sterile injectable manufacturing capacity at its Spokane facility, allowing the company to produce enough medicine to serve more than 300 million patients annually.

The expansion is also creating over 400 new jobs in the Spokane region.

Jubilant HollisterStier provides comprehensive sterile fill-finish and lyophilization services, partnering with pharmaceutical companies to produce medications for patients in the U.S. and beyond.

Jubilant HollisterStier broke ground on its expansion project in 2021. The first phase, a 50,000-square-foot third sterile fill-finish line, was completed in 2024 and began commercial production in October. The second and final phase — a fourth fill-finish line — is underway and will expand the facility by 160,000 square feet.

As of December 2025, Jubilant HollisterStier has just over 1,100 full-time employees, making it the largest manufacturer in Spokane County, according to the Journal’s Largest Employers list.

What are your expectations for growth in the coming years? Demand for new medications like monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics and oncology drugs makes up a large share of the growing market. As the FDA continues to approve more injectable drugs like vaccines and biologics, pharma companies need reliable manufacturing services to meet the demand.

Has the organization overcome any obstacles in the past year? Our Spokane manufacturing site undertook a major workforce transformation by adopting a shared resource model and cross-training existing team members to perform multiple roles. This initiative enabled continuous 24-hour operations, improved flexibility, and allowed for more efficient deployment of technicians across production lines in preparation to scale operations.

How has the organization adapted or innovated in the past year? Jubilant HollisterStier has been working throughout 2025 on our Line 4 expansion opening in 2026 to increase the volume of products we can make and the services we can offer our partners. Line 4 will feature the same innovative technology as our third line, and the project also includes thousands of square feet of new temperature-controlled warehouse storage for both ingredients and finished products alongside a high-speed packaging line capable of handling 600 2mL vials of medication per minute.

Are there any other reasons this organization deserves to be considered for this honor? We intentionally invest in new ways to build our talent pipeline in Spokane. Through our partnership with Spokane Colleges, we launched our first biotechnology certification program. The first cohort graduated in June 2025 after completing a 10-week course that included hands-on training experience and a chance to apply for internship opportunities at Jubilant HollisterStier. Four cohorts of students have now completed the program, and new sessions will continue to be offered.

Survey responses may have been edited for length and clarity.