A biomedical pharmaceutical company breaks ground near Covington bringing 1,500 new positions with it.

Baxter International manufactures life saving treatments for those with blood disorders, trauma, and infectious diseases.

Gov. Nathan Deal says the $1 billion investment by the company will do a great deal to boost the state’s economy.

“This is the largest capital investment that has been made in our state in terms of new jobs since I have been Governor,” he says.

Baxter CEO Robert Parkinson says it will likely be five years before commercial operation begins due to federal regulations.

He says the company will be looking for highly skilled workers to fill the new positions.

“People with scientific backgrounds, certainly some number of people without advanced degrees but the majority will be college degrees or even advanced degrees beyond that,” says Parkinson.

Georgia’s Quick Start program will open a biotech training center near the facility to provide a workforce pipeline for Baxter and other members of the state’s bioscience industry.