JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Johnson & Johnson said Monday it will invest more than $1 billion in Jacksonville, Florida, to expand U.S.-based manufacturing, packaging and distribution for its ACUVUE brand contact lenses.
The investment includes a new distribution facility and advanced manufacturing and packaging technologies intended to scale the company’s Vision operations, strengthen supply-chain resilience and meet growing demand. Construction is underway, and the company said the site is expected to be fully operational in 2028.
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“This investment reinforces our long-standing conviction that advanced manufacturing in the United States is essential to delivering innovative, high-quality health care solutions to patients at home and around the world,” Joaquin Duato, chairman and chief executive officer of Johnson & Johnson, said in a statement.
He said the expansion will help the company serve more than 40 million patients in the U.S. and globally.
The move is part of a previously announced commitment by Johnson & Johnson to invest $55 billion in U.S. manufacturing, research and development and technology through early 2029, the company said.
Johnson & Johnson has operated in Jacksonville since 1981 and now employs about 3,500 people in the area. The company said its operations support roughly $6 billion in annual economic impact across Florida and encompass more than 1.5 million square feet of manufacturing, research, distribution and operations facilities. Johnson & Johnson also said it manufactures more than 1.7 billion ACUVUE contact lenses annually for U.S. patients.
“Johnson & Johnson’s commitment is a strong vote of confidence in Jacksonville, our workforce, and our future,” Mayor Donna Deegan said. “This expansion strengthens our high-tech footprint while creating quality jobs and long-term opportunities for our community.”
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and several other federal and state officials praised the investment, saying it would bolster domestic health care production and create jobs in Northeast Florida.