KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. Share your story idea with Olivia.
First it was Panasonic—now, another major company is planting deeper roots in De Soto. Merck Animal Health has announced an expansion of its De Soto operations, and it’s bringing hundreds of new jobs with it.
The investment will allow the company to expand its manufacturing capacity for animal vaccines and biologic products.
“We'll be enhancing the capabilities to bring best in class therapeutics to the market, ultimately benefiting our pets and addressing unmet medical needs,” said Brian Gay, Merck De Soto plant manager.
The expansion means hundreds of new jobs—200 permanent positions in biomanufacturing and quality engineering, and during construction, another 2,500 temporary roles.
It’s costing the company $895 million. A big economic commitment for the company. I asked Gay what it means.
“It means a lot,” said Gay. "It's going to grow our capacity to meet customer's needs. It's going to be a significant investment here in De Soto.”
Merck is already a familiar name around the city of 6,500. Merck has operated here since the early 2000s, but its place inside the so-called Animal Health corridor—stretching from Manhattan, KS to Columbia, MO—makes it a good spot for that growth to continue.
“I think it's gonna help the community,” said Dr. Matt Fehr, De Soto veterinarian. “It's going to add jobs. So that's, I think that's always good for a small community.”
Dr. Matt Fehr runs the De Soto veterinary clinic where he sees Merck’s impact up close.
“They're improving their vaccines, which improves health of our pets,” said Dr. Fehr. “Anything that they can do to improve the health of our pets is a plus.”
Dr. Fehr has watched De Soto’s landscape change with the addition of Panasonic, and now Merck's expansion. He says it’s the kind of change that keeps De Soto moving forward.
“Is it losing a small-town feel? I don't think it is yet,” said Dr. Fehr. “It's good to have all that revenue for the community so the community can continue to grow.”
Construction on the new Merck facility is expected to begin by late 2025 or early 2026.