901.410.5381

A major health care project bringing hundreds of jobs is now operational in DeSoto County.

Spectra Laboratories opened its new 200,000-square-foot laboratory in Southaven’s Stateline Business Park on Aug. 16.

Spectra — a large supplier of kidney care products and services — is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fresenius Medical Care North America. The state-of-the-art Southaven facility is Fresenius’ largest laboratory.

The DeSoto County facility allows Spectra to serve a larger amount of people living with chronic renal conditions, which includes kidney failure. Spectra provides renal-specific laboratory services as well as comprehensive testing, analysis, and reporting for people with kidney disease.

“Our patients rely on timely and accurate lab results to manage kidney failure and guide our care teams in providing the highest quality dialysis services,” Rice Powell, CEO of Fresenius Medical Care, said in a release. “This new facility offers the perfect location to provide faster turnaround times for our lab services and a strong workforce of employees dedicated to our mission.”

While the new laboratory marks Spectra’s first entry into Southaven, however, Fresenius Medical already has a presence in the area. It supports patients with kidney failure with dialysis services through its Fresenius Kidney Care Center in Southaven, according to Ines Dahne-Steuber, president of Spectra Laboratories and a senior vice president at Fresenius Medical Care North America.

Dahne-Steuber told MBJ that Spectra is looking to hire 300 employees within the new laboratory facility’s first three years of operation. She said Spectra currently has about 120 employees in Southaven and is actively trying to fill critical openings for a number of open positions. Spectra has about 600 employees in the U.S., supporting more than 250,000 patients and performing more than 70 million tests each year.

RECOMMENDED

TRAVEL & TOURISM

Mid-South Fair set to return next month with more attractions

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

Photos: Former Houston Rocket Tracy McGrady’s Sugar Land mansion listed at $8M

RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

Patti Payne’s Cool Pads: NBA legend Bill Russell puts Mercer Island home on the market

“Southaven provided an ideal location for Spectra’s expansion,” Dahne-Steuber said. “Every day, the Spectra lab team processes thousands of samples to ensure the patients they serve receive results as quickly as possible. The city’s close proximity to a major FedEx hub, as well as Southaven’s central location, were both important factors in selecting the new location.”

The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) is providing assistance for workforce training and site improvements. MDA also is supporting the project through the Advantage Jobs and Healthcare Industry Zone Incentive programs, per the release.

MBJ reported in December 2019 that Mississippi is providing a $1.25 million grant and $750,000 in workforce training funds for the project. DeSoto County Economic Development Council CEO Jim Flanagan said at the time that the local incentive package would include a 10-year property tax break.