Afton Scientific Breaks Ground on Biopharmaceutical Facility Expansion in Albemarle County

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — September 29, 2025 Afton Scientific, a pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for sterile injectables, celebrated the official groundbreaking for its new biopharmaceutical facility in Albemarle County. The event marks the beginning of construction of the initial 285,000 square foot facility. The new facility will create over 200 new jobs.

The ceremony, which took place on September 29, 2025 at 4 p.m. brought together key stakeholders, including Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earl-Sears, Secretary of Commerce Juan Pablo Segura, Albemarle County Executive Jeff Richardson, Jim Andrews, Chair, Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and members of the Afton Scientific team. The attendees shared in the excitement of this significant development, which is poised to strengthen Virginia and Albemarle County’s position in the growing biopharmaceutical industry.

Afton Scientific COO David Pereira said, “This new facility represents new capabilities for our company, with an enhanced ability to commercially support our customers and their patients. We are delighted to move to the next phase of this project and look forward to adding over 200 members to the team.”

When complete, the new building will allow Afton Scientific to run larger batch sizes at high speed. This increased capacity will allow the company greater capabilities to support the global biopharmaceutical industry. Integrated Project Services (IPS) is the architect and construction manager, and Faulconer will do the site work for the project.

Afton Scientific is also adding 5,000 additional square feet of lab space in its Avon One building. The buildout for that project was done by AdvanceTEC, a cleanroom and process integration provider. The company has plans to continue expansion beyond the new facility.

Thomas Thorpe, CEO of the company said, “Afton Scientific is thrilled to bring advanced manufacturing jobs and economic growth to Central Virginia by expanding our capacity to provide critical, life-saving therapies to more Americans.”

Afton Scientific is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the manufacturing of injectable medications. The company’s expansion in Albemarle County will significantly increase its production capacity for injectable pharmaceuticals, strengthening Virginia’s position in the growing biopharmaceutical industry. This expansion builds upon Afton Scientific’s existing 20+ year presence in the Commonwealth, with its current facilities located at 2020 and 2030 Avon Court, Charlottesville, VA 22902.