Today, Gov. Andy Beshear congratulated Neogen Corp., a manufacturer of animal and food safety products, on its new facility in Montgomery County, a $9.8 million investment creating 79 full-time jobs and furthering the Governor’s initiative to grow Kentucky’s agritech sector.

Neogen has operated in Kentucky since locating in Lexington in 1992 with the acquisition of ELISA Technologies. ELISA was formed in 1990 through a license agreement with the University of Kentucky to develop diagnostic test kits to detect abused and therapeutic drugs in racehorses and greyhounds. Lexington serves as Neogen’s Animal Safety headquarters, which has grown to employ 170 residents across two Lexington facilities.

The new location adds to Kentucky’s thriving food, beverage and agritech sector, which includes more than 200 agribusiness-related facilities and employs over 20,000 people statewide. Administration-to-date, new location and expansion projects within the industry are expected to create nearly 4,700 full-time jobs with over $4.5 billion in new investments.