Simtra buys old GE property from Cook, plans injectable drug facility

The former General Electric Company site, north of 3rd Street on Curry Pike, which was purchased in 2017 by Cook Group, has now been sold to Simtra BioPharma Solutions.

The property is just west of Bloomington.

Both companies issued news releases on Friday (July 25) about the purchase agreement for the roughly 65 acres of property, which includes a few hundred thousand square feet of existing facilities.

The release from Simtra highlights the ability to expand its manufacturing capacity beyond what it currently produces at its existing facility on Curry Pike south of 3rd Street. The expansion means increases in the amount and the kind of products the company can produce.

The release says manufacturing lines will be installed that will be Simtra’s first U.S.-based commercial-scale capacity for oncology focused injectable drug products. The facility would run isolator-based vial and prefilled syringe filling lines, according to the release.

Simtra currently employs about 1,300 people, and it is too early to give specific numbers about how many new employees the expansion will add, a Simtra spokesperson told The B Square. According to Simtra, “[T]his investment has the potential to create high-quality jobs in the life sciences sector. We’re committed to being a strong employer and community partner in Bloomington.”

The purchase of the former GE facility from Cook Group adds to the investment that Simtra is making in its existing facility—a $250-million project to construct a 150,000-square-foot building where it will run three high-speed, automated fill lines. Ground was broken on that project a year ago.

The release from Cook Group highlights the fact that the western portion of the property, which includes an employee parking lot, will stay with Cook. The release also says that no jobs at Cook are impacted by the sale.

Cook’s release gives an assurance that the sale does not indicate any change in Cook’s plans to stay in Bloomington, quoting Pete Yonkman, president of Cook Group and Cook Medical: “This in no way signals a change to our presence or commitment to the community.”

The reason that Cook is selling the property is connected to the impact of the COVID pandemic. According to the release, even though Cook planned to use the property for both professional and manufacturing space, the pandemic “drastically changed Cook’s needs for physical space.” According to the release, “Cook hasn’t had a critical need for this space for several years.”

The property Simtra has now purchased from Cook was almost the site of a facility that NHanced Semiconductors wanted to build. But NHanced discontinued that effort in May 2024, when some hoped-for federal funding did not pan out.

When Cook purchased the property from GE, it paid $6.5 million, according to Monroe County property records. There’s no word yet on the value of the deal that was announced on Friday.

Yonkman is quoted in Cook’s news release saying, “This transfer will be good for the community, the local economy and the life sciences industry here in Bloomington. We are happy to see it go to a company that is also focused on innovation in healthcare.”

Cook also played a role in the real estate transaction that led to Simtra’s location at its existing facility on Curry Pike south of 3rd Street. In 2001, Baxter Healthcare Corporation, which became Baxter BioPharma Solutions, acquired the property from Cook. Simtra then acquired Baxter in October 2023.

Jennifer Pearl, president of the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation told The B Square the announcement of the purchase agreement between Cook and Simtra is “great news” adding, “It positions the old GE site for redevelopment, which can upgrade a local facility for the community.” Pearl said, “As we’ve seen with the old RCA/Thompson Consumer Electronics site (now Novo Nordisk) and Otis Elevator site (now home to PHOENIX and Almvoy American, Inc), public-private investments in sites like these can continue to bear fruit for the community.

According to Simtra, the first production line in the project that is already underway at its existing facility will be ready for production by the end of 2026. The other two lines planned for that building are expected to be completed in 2027.

According to Simtra’s spokesperson, the existing building on the property just purchased from Cook “provides a strong foundation” but the infrastructure improvements and prep work make it hard to estimate when Simtra will be in production at the facility.

Simtra’s spokesperson indicated that to help with recruitment, the company has revamped its training programs to support people who have experience, as well as those new to the field.

Many of Simtra’s jobs—in manufacturing, packaging, and warehouse operations—could be filled by people with experience in other industries, according to Simtra. Simtra’s spokesperson said, “We’re also actively recruiting high school graduates, technical school alumni, and university graduates for roles in operations, engineering, quality, and more.”

The news release from Simtra says the company will be working with Monroe County officials on its phased development plan. It’s the county government that could play a role in helping to facilitate the project, because the property is outside of Bloomington’s current city limits.