Industry News

Carolinas HealthCare System is planning a $70-million expansion of Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, the system's flagship hospital. The project will add four floors to the top of the existing surgery tower and will include major expansion of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, the Trauma Intensive Care Unit, and the Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit.

Tokyo, Japan-based drugmaker Eisai Co. is planning to begin construction in early 2004 on a $65-million R&D center in Andover, Mass. The facility will enable Eisai to double its U.S. basic research staff to as many as 170 employees. Eisai will also spend approximately $9-million on a second production line for drugs used in clinical testing at one of its existing U.S. research facilities.

Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Department broke ground in mid-January 2003 on a biosafety lab that will enable the department to test for and detect potential bio-terrorist materials to protect both state residents and their food supply.

Ashland Specialty Chemical Co., a division of Covington, England-based Ashland Inc., has completed the expansion of its Kidderminster, Worcestershire, manufacturing facility. The plant can now produce specialized pressure-sensitive adhesives in addition to its metal-casting products and services operations.

Columbia St. Mary's is planning to break ground on its new Lake Drive Campus hospital facility in Spring 2004. Sited where the present St. Mary's hospital now stands, the facility is slated for occupancy in 2009. Lead architect for the project is Hellmuth Obata + Kassabaum (HOK) with Kahler Slater and Plunkett Rayisch Architects providing architectural support during construction.