Diabetes Type 2 Treatment in Tallevast, FL

A Boca Raton-based biomanufacturing company has expanded to Sarasota and plans to establish its roots in the community.

Biotechnology Akron Bio, which manufactures materials for use in vaccines and therapies, opened a 54,000-square-foot Sarasota research and development center earlier this year at 600 Tallevast Road, Suite 201.

"We believe that Florida is a key player in biosciences," said Dolores Baksh, vice president of commercial at Akron BioManufacturing, the company's biomanufacturing business. "There's a budding science community, a phenomenal hospital network, and area universities, locally and in the state. We think this community will be an attractive pull for talent, coupled with the attractive business landscape in Florida."

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At its Sarasota research and development facility, Akron Bio scientists make a critical biological building block called plasmid DNA.

The product, which is a biological material found in E. Coli bacteria, can be used as ancillary material for the making of cell therapy, gene therapy and vaccines. Akron Bio makes E.Coli in its Sarasota lab through a microbial fermentation process in order to manufacture the DNA.

Once introduced into a therapeutic, plasmid DNA can return normal function to cells and genes, thereby preventing diseases like cystic fibrosis, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers. It can also be used in the making of vaccines.

Akron Bio sells plasmid DNA to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, who can use it as a critical starting material in the clinical trial process and all the way through commercialization.

There are hundreds of clinical trials in the pipeline in the pharmaceutical industry, Baksh said, so there's a vast need for plasmid DNA. Akron Bio's role is to make sure there's plenty of supply to help develop potentially lifesaving therapies.

"We are answering this call at Akron Bio by providing critical starting materials, so the industry can have more supply," she said.

The company's existing Tallevast plant is just the first phase of its Sarasota footprint. Akron Bio plans to double its space with a 50,000-square-foot addition and to add 50 employees by the end of the year. Baksh said that number should double again in 2023.

A lot of recruiting has been done at Florida colleges, but Akron Bio has also looked at candidates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stamford University, and Texas A&M University, Baksh said. Akron Bio hired a seasoned senior staff of 15 to 20 employees, she said, but outside of that, the company is investing in recent college graduates.

"We’re investing in building in that skillset, training them and demonstrating to them how they can grow in different roles we have in the organization," she said.

The ultimate goal is to support the clinical trial pipeline in the pharmaceutical industry, Baksh said.

"These advanced therapies are life-saving therapies," she said.

As Amazon builds a new distribution center in Manatee County, the world's leader in e-commerce will hire thousands of new workers in Florida, the company said Tuesday.

Amazon announced it will hire 8,000 new full-time and part-time positions across the Sunshine State, including 1,000 in South Florida, 800 in Orlando, and more than 100 in Tampa.

It wasn't immediately clear how many people Amazon plans to hire in the Sarasota-Bradenton area. The company did not return an email requesting more information Tuesday.

Amazon said its jobs in fulfillment and transportation start at $18 per hour on average and go up to $22.50 per hour, depending on the location. Full-time employees receive benefits including health, vision, and dental, 401K with a 50% company match and up to 20 weeks paid parental leave. Frontline employees also get access to full college tuition through the company's Career Choice program.

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The company announced the new jobs Tuesday ahead of its annual career day Wednesday. Amazon Career Day is a free virtual recruiting event with one on one career coaching for anyone, regardless of experience level, field or background.

Across the country, Amazon said Tuesday that it plans to hire 125,000 people in logistics positions. On top of that, the company said it is looking to hire 40,000 corporate and technology employees.

Amazon, one of the world's most dominant businesses, has grown significantly since the start of COVID-19. Since then, according to the company, it has hired more than 450,000 new U.S. workers.

The company has also been expanding its physical footprint, with the addition of hundreds of new distribution centers. This year, the company has opened more than 250 new fulfillment and sortation centers, regional air hubs, and delivery stations across the country. Amazon said it plans to open more than 100 new buildings in September alone.

Amazon opened its first local distribution center in Venice in August 2020. The 111,000-square-foot building is a last-mile center, meaning it's the last place a package goes before it hits a customer's front steps. As of December, the Venice facility employed 300 full-time and part-time employees.

The company is in the process of building a second local delivery station in Manatee County at 2200 Tallevast Road.