North Gwinnett News

Steven Boren, Vice President of U.S. Livestock and Equine Businesses at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA, emphasizes the importance of animal health in safeguarding human health. "We keep people fed three times a day," he states, highlighting his company's role in leveraging science to advance animal health. The company is headquartered in Duluth and serves as a central hub for its U.S. operations.

Boren underscores the interconnectedness of animal and human health: "We are susceptible to many of the same parasites and infectious diseases that can cross from animals to humans. By keeping animals healthy with vaccines and parasiticides, we help protect human health." His work includes collaborating with wildlife officials to vaccinate wild animals like foxes and raccoons against diseases such as rabies, which pose risks to humans.

He also focuses on veterinary public health programs aimed at reducing transboundary animal diseases' impact. These highly transmissible livestock diseases threaten global food chains, food supply security, and human health.

Boehringer Ingelheim's efforts extend globally by stabilizing food supply chains through animal health initiatives. Boren notes that while high-quality proteins are accessible in places like the United States and Europe, much of the world faces nutritional deficits: "We work hard to expand access globally by caring for animals."

The company manufactures billions of vaccine doses annually for poultry at its Gainesville facility, distributing them to about 60 countries. In Athens, it conducts research and produces hundreds of millions of vaccine doses each year for pets, poultry, and wildlife distributed across 80 countries. Across its Georgia locations in Duluth, Gainesville, and Athens, Boehringer Ingelheim employs around 1,500 people.

Boren praises Gwinnett County as an ideal location for a global company like Boehringer Ingelheim due to its infrastructure conducive to business success: "The high-quality education system in Gwinnett County and local amenities aid in attracting talent." He highlights the county's diversity as a crucial resource providing businesses with varied perspectives fostering innovation.

He values the Gwinnett Chamber's role in maintaining a strong business climate: "It’s important for us to stay connected with local businesses," encouraging other leaders to engage with the Chamber for relationship cultivation across regions. He finds it fascinating how different businesses drive economic growth while learning ways they can support each other.