Hill Pharmaceuticals says it will expand Sanford manufacturing; seeks expedited permitting

Hill Pharmaceuticals presented an expansion plan to the Sanford City Commission on Aug. 25, saying the privately owned developer and manufacturer will build a new 80,000‑square‑foot facility on Sanford International Airport property and seek city permits to accelerate an FDA‑regulated qualification process.

Jeff Tabatabai, executive vice president of Hill Pharmaceuticals, described the company’s focus on difficult‑to‑treat dermatological products and noted the company manufactures at Sanford for distribution to more than 29 countries. Tabatabai said Hill built its main facility on airport property in 1994; the company now operates about 65,000 square feet downtown and added 25,000 square feet under a 2018 lease on a separate property. The company recently signed a new lease with the airport for an additional 40 years and intends to consolidate operations into the new larger building.

Tabatabai told commissioners Hill employs more than 100 people locally and relies on specialized technical staff brought in from outside Sanford for certain operations. He said the firm’s manufacturing and drug approvals are FDA‑regulated and that each piece of equipment and each drug formulation must be qualified and inspected by the FDA before distribution. He asked the city to expedite permit review and coordinate internal departments so Hill can enter the qualification phase on schedule.

Economic development staff introduced the presentation and said the expansion will require “all hands on deck” from permitting, economic development, and other departments. Commissioners congratulated the company and expressed support; no formal action was required or taken that evening. Tabatabai said Hill will return with formal permit applications in the coming weeks.

Ending: City staff said they will work with Hill and airport officials on permitting coordination; company representatives said they will bring formal permit requests and more detailed plans shortly.