Ipsen Plans to Hire After Moving to Basking Ridge

This company is expecting to continue expanding while other pharmaceuticals are downsizing. In an effort to better streamline operations, is packing up its offices in California for the first step in a relocation to Basking Ridge within the next week.

According to Sean McKercher, president and general manager for Ipsen North America, the corporate headquarters for the company is in Paris, having been started by a family that was based in France. And, he said, the company's U.S. headquarters is in California, outside of San Francisco.

“We have nine time zone differences, which makes operating with the head office difficult,” he said. “We made the decision to relocate to the East Coast.”

As of April, the company will be working on Allen Road in Basking Ridge. Until then, McKercher said, temporary offices will open on Mount Airy Road in Bernardsville.

Ipsen is a global pharmaceutical company, McKercher said, specializing in endocrinology and neurology, and focusing on developing therapies for debilitating diseases. The fundamental driver for the company, he said, is through toxins and peptides.

McKercher said one of the company’s products is Dysport, which competes with Botox and uses similar properties for therapeutic applications, not cosmetic purposes.

When it came to deciding where to set up shop, McKercher said, the company looked in Massachusetts, near Boston since there is already another office there, and in New Jersey, approaching the states about tax incentives.

“And we did a review of all the resumes and candidates we have interviewed that we have wanted to hire but couldn’t because they wouldn’t relocate to California,” he said. “A high portion of those came from the Bridgewater area and the Morristown area.”

After New Jersey offered an attractive tax incentive, McKercher said, the company began to look in Morris County, but it became clear that Somerset County was the way to go.

“It became clear that we would attract more people if we moved closer to Bridgewater as opposed to Morrisown,” he said. “That would allow us to even attract candidates from Pennsylvania.”

“The talent pool was available and the building we liked is being renovated,” he added.

According to McKercher, the office will have 117 employees, and it will include commercial operations, leadership for sales, marketing, the human resources department and across the entire business gamut, among other workers.

At this point, McKercher said, they have already hired 17 people, with 100 more to go.

“We offered a number of people relocation, but for some, once they live in California, they don’t want to leave,” he said. “A vast majority of the people will be new hires.”

McKercher said that with so many other pharmaceutical companies downsizing, it is a positive that Ipsen can offer more positions.

“It’s a big industry, and what’s been to our benefit is that many of the large pharmaceutical companies have been downsizing,” he said. “We’ve been able to attract some really talented people, and we’ve been growing.”

McKercher said the company is committed to staying in Somerset County, and would like to not have to move again in the near future.

“We hope to stay here indefinitely,” he said. “The U.S. is a major growth driver for the overall company going forward. Our hope is our new home will stay for a long time and grow personnel wise as business grows.”

McKercher said there are a great deal of talented applicants looking for the positions in the area.

“This area is good both in terms of the ability to get good talent and a lot of experienced people,” he said. “It is an area that lets us be part of the industry community.”