Nephron Pharmaceuticals Officially Breaks Ground

Nephron Pharmaceuticals officially broke ground on its new Lexington County facility in a ceremony Thursday, heralding its $313 million investment in the county and the eventual creation of an estimated 707 jobs.

Upwards of 300 people were on hand for the ceremony at the nearly 60-acre site. The 1.2 million square-foot plant is being constructed at Saxe Gotha Industrial Park in Cayce near the Amazon Distribution Center.

The manufacturer of respiratory medicine plans to open the new plant and offices by mid-2013. The company was given the 58.8-acre site along with local property tax breaks and state job creation tax credits under a deal approved last month by County Council.

— an announcement that prompted local leaders to gush.

"You're really talking about a real game-changer," Lexington Mayor Randy Halfacre told Patch following the announcement….  "It really is a game-changer; that [phrase] might be overused, but it really definitely is true. Locally, it may even be bigger than Amazon…."

Not only is the number of jobs significant, so is the estimated average salary, which CEO and co-owner Lou Kennedy, a Lexington native, has pegged at $65,000 annually.

Nephron's annoucement last year came under scrutiny, as many questioned the relationship that the company had with Gov. Nikki Haley.

According to records obtained by WIS-TV, Haley has used a plane owned by Lou Kennedy at least twice, to attend two fundraisers.

Haley was criticized for using accepting the plane usage while the company was negotiating an incentive plan for locating in the state.

The company also donated $3,500 to Haley's campaign, while Lou Kennedy donated more than $3,000 to the governor, according to The State.

Nephron produces generic respiratory medications, such as albuterol. With a capacity of over 100 million doses monthly, it serves patients worldwide. The company’s products are available to retail pharmacies, hospitals, home care companies, long-term care facilities, mail-order pharmacies, and various other customers. Nephron is headquartered in Orlando, and has distribution centers in Kentucky and Arizona.