A Lehigh Valley-based pharmaceutical company based is undergoing a $10 million expansion project, marking the latest success story for the region’s thriving life sciences sector.

Particle Sciences, a contract drug manufacturing firm based in Hanover Township, Northampton County, is adding commercial drug product manufacturing at 3894 Courtney Street.

Particle Sciences is undergoing a undergoing a $10 million expansion project at its Hanover Township, Northampton County facility.

The new space is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2017. Particle Sciences currently employs about 85 people, and the expansion is expected to create about 30 new jobs.

“As healthcare companies look for total solution providers, we continue to invest in the right areas to provide valuable offerings where our customers are experiencing the most growth,” said Deb Langer, Vice President of Lubrizol Personal Home and Health Care.

The Ohio-based Lubrizol Corporation, which acquired Particle Sciences in 2015. The expansion project to its Lehigh Valley facility is part of a $60 million investment for planned expansions at several of its companies across the United States.

The new Lehigh Valley space will be adjacent to the existing development and clinical trial manufacturing site, offering customers a seamless flow from development through manufacturing, according to the company.

The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation’s (LVEDC) Business Outreach Program previously met with Particle Sciences several times as they considered their expansion, along with representatives from Northampton County and Pennsylvania’s Governor’s Action Team.

Life science research and manufacturing is one the four target industry sectors for the Lehigh Valley based on the site-specific characteristics of the regional economy, as identified by an economic development study LVEDC commissioned from the Atlanta-based Garner Economics, LLC.

Those characteristics included an abundance of water and natural gas, an exceptional healthcare system, a world-class workforce, and a superior transportation infrastructure, according to the study.

With headquarters in Wickliffe, Ohio, Lubrizol owns and operates manufacturing facilities in 17 countries, as well as sales and technical offices around the world. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol has approximately 8,300 employees worldwide.