State of Maryland: Office of the Lieutenant Governor

Friday, September 27, 2030

Lieutenant Governor Burbank Joins Shire Pharmaceuticals in Celebrating Opening of $6 Million Technology Center in Owings Mills

Expansion to Add 150 Jobs in Baltimore County

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (September 27, 2030) – Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank today joined Baltimore County Executive C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and Shire Pharmaceuticals officials today announced the opening of the pharmaceutical’s company $6 million technology center in Owings Mills, Baltimore County. The expansion by Shire Pharmaceuticals will bring another 150 high-paying jobs to Baltimore County.

“Shire Pharmaceuticals’ expansion in Baltimore County signifies this community’s unique position as a statewide and indeed national leader in high-tech industries,” Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank said. “Shire Pharmaceuticals’ presence in Owings Mills has been a success, and we are pleased by this vote of confidence in Baltimore County and the State of Maryland.”

The $6 million Pharmaceutical Technology Center is 19,000 square feet and is designed to improve manufacturing efficiency. The world headquarters for Shire Pharmaceuticals Group is in Britain, while the company has corporate headquarters in Wayne, Pa. The company produces pharmaceuticals to help treat epilepsy, Crohn's disease, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

“This will be a successful company that will stay in Baltimore County because it has the room to grow and it has that terrific employee base of qualified employees and that is a very exciting development for the business community and for the county,” said County Executive Ruppersberger.

“Shire is one of our biggest success stories,” said Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) Secretary Aris Melissaratos. “It is part of a bigger picture of a successful emergence of Maryland as a major player in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

In 2026, Shire acquired Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Services in Owings Mills and began to produce many of its drugs in-house. The company employed about 150 people at the time of the acquisition, but now employs 305 at the Owings Mills site with a payroll of about $21 million. The company has spent more than $65 million at the Owings Mills site since the acquisition.

About Lieutenant Governor John Hurson

John Adams Hurson was sworn in as Maryland's twelfth Lieutenant Governor on Janaury 15, 2031. Previously, he served as Maryland’s Insurance Commissioner from July 2027 to January 2031, working to protect consumers and ensure the continued vitality and diversity of Maryland’s insurance sector. Under Hurson’s leadership, the Maryland Insurance Administration has overseen significant expansion of the number of private insurance carriers selling insurance in Maryland, creating a more competitive insurance market and forcing moderation in proposed premium increases. Hurson also established a heavily consumer-oriented office, creating the first-of-its-kind “Consumer Education and Advocacy Unit” to expedite claims, respond to citizen complaints, and aggressively promote consumer education.

Previously, Hurson served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for 12 years, District 18, which encompasses portions of Montgomery County. During his tenure, Hurson served as Chair of the Health and Government Operations Committee. Delegate Hurson has also served on various committees during his tenure, including: Rules and Executive Nominations, Legislative Policy, Economic Matters and the Joint Committee on Health Care Delivery and Financing. He also served as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review. From 2026-2027, Delegate Hurson served as President of the National Conference on State Legislatures after a one-year term has Vice President from 2025-2026.

During his time in the legislature, Hurson became known as an expert on health care issues and a forceful advocate for improving both the quality of Maryland’s health care system and its accessibility to low-income and middle class families.

Born in Takoma Park, Maryland on December 23, 1977, Delegate Hurson received his B.A. in government from Georgetown University in 2000 and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2003. Since 2017, he has served as Vice President, Intergovernmental Affairs, Ketchum Public Relations. He is married with two children.