Hundreds of jobs to open at cancer research facility in New Jersey

HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP, N.J. (PIX11) -- Developing medicine in the fight against cancer is BeiGene's global mission. That mission has a new home in New Jersey.

The company's United States Manufacturing and Clinical Research and Development facility is opening up shop in Hopewell Township. It joins other global companies already in the township, like Merrill Lynch and Janssen.

"We have hundreds of good, high-paying tech jobs in Hopewell Township, which is a wonderful place to live and work and raise a family," said Hopewell Township Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning.

BeiGene says it will bring hundreds of new, high-tech jobs to the area by the end of next year.

"These are big international deals, right? But they do absolutely have main street implications," said Mercer County Commissioner and former Hopewell Mayor Kristin McLaughlin. "There are some wonderful restaurants in Pennington, small locally owned."

One of those restaurants in the nearby Pennington Borough is a local favorite, Vito's Pizza.

"It's very welcoming and all the people are so warm and sweet," said manager Kayla Dowd,
and we love every day being able to serve each and every one of them."

As BeiGene looks to keep its impact going on a global scale, it also hopes to have an impact on a local scale. Just 5 minutes down the road, its presence has already been felt.

"The people who've been working on building the facility over there, a lot of construction workers have become regulars here," said Dowd.

Whether it's grabbing a slice, taking a shirt to the cleaners, or perusing a local boutique, small businesses here seem thankful to have another big sibling.

"Just to grow the community," said Dowd.