An Austrian company will set up its first U. S. headquarters in Roanoke, expecting to bring 435 jobs to the city.
RINGANA is a life sciences company specializing in premium skincare and nutritional products.
According to an announcement Friday morning from the state and the city, the company will establish its U. S. headquarters, as well as production and distribution operations in Roanoke. It will invest $85 million in the project over five years.
The project represents the largest capital investment of any foreign direct investment
project in the Roanoke Region’s history and the largest jobs announcement by a newly
locating manufacturer in more than 30 years, according to the Roanoke Regional Partnership.
John Hull, president and CEO of the partnership, said the company was attracted by the site. But Roanoke's outdoor amenities and emergence as a leader in biomedical research, particularly through the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute led by Michael Friedlander, were also a draw.
"The major appeal was this region's brand, its outdoor lifestyle, the fact that there was a brand synergy with brand products and outdoor culture," Hull said Friday. "The RINGANA leadership was really and truly impressed by the Life Science Innovation Corridor, and meeting Dr. Friedlander, meeting his researchers, learning of their international backgrounds.”
The company will occupy an existing location just off Interstate 581 in Northwest Roanoke. That site on Frontage Road once housed a Johnson & Johnson operation. Hull said RINGANA will likely begin some work at the location by the end of the year.
RINGANA employs about 800 people, mainly in Europe and in Central and South America. The company already has a website up, recruiting for the new Roanoke location.
