BIOTECH COMPANY REGENERON BUYS AVON SITE IN ROCKLAND, PLANS MILLIONS IN RENOVATIONS
January 25, 2024
SUFFERN — Avon's former research and development site in Rockland has been purchased by Regeneron, a Westchester County-based powerhouse biotech pharmaceutical firm. According to a deed filed with the Rockland County Clerk's Office on Dec. 20, the $38.875 million sale of the site at 1 Avon Place in Suffern includes nearly 10 acres.
Suffern Mayor Michael Curley said Regeneron told him the jobs would pay around $125,000 to $175,000 a year. "There’s a lot of good things happening in downtown Suffern.”
Regeneron plans to invest another $100 million in renovations at the location, according to Rockland County Industrial Development Agency documents.
"They are one of the best companies we have here in New York State," said Rockland Business Association CEO Al Samuels of Regeneron. "This is just tremendous for western Rockland County."
Avon in Village Since 1897
Avon announced its plans to close the Suffern site in 2022, with an 18-month timetable laid out then. Layoffs of its Rockland team started this year. With a presence in the village since 1897, Avon once employed as many as 1,500 at the site. The current employment numbers for the site are estimated below 150.
The Suffern facility was among Avon's last in the U.S. and the work done at the site was being relocated to Brazil and Poland. "Avon didn't leave the Hudson Valley or New York," Samuels said. "Avon left this country."
The Regeneron project is expected to create approximately 230 new full-time jobs by 2026, when extensive renovations are finished.
Suffern Mayor Michael Curley said Regeneron told him the jobs would pay around $125,000 to $175,000 a year. "There’s a lot of good things happening in downtown Suffern.”
Regeneron Grows
Regeneron has also been expanding in Westchester County. A nearly 1 million-square-foot expansion is underway, at a cost of $1.8 billion, at its main facility that straddles the towns of Greenburgh and Mount Pleasant. Regeneron's planned growth in Westchester has positioned it as a biotech juggernaut in the county, with the Rockland land purchase expanding its footprint in the Hudson Valley. The company also has facilities in New York's capital region. Regeneron's planned growth in Westchester has positioned it as a biotech juggernaut in the county, with the Rockland land purchase expanding its footprint in the Hudson Valley. The company also has facilities in New York's capital region.
Regeneron reports it has more than 12,000 employees and offices in seven countries. The purchase was made by Rock County Holdings, an LLC set up by Tarrytown-based Regeneron.
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