INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 1, 2018) – MiraVista Diagnostics, a
developer of diagnostic tests for fungal diseases, announced plans today to
expand its operations in central Indiana, creating up to 31 new jobs by
2021.
“Ranked No. 2 in the nation for worldwide exports, Indiana has quickly
established itself as a global leader in life sciences thanks to companies like
MiraVista,” said Elaine Bedel, president of the Indiana Economic
Development Corporation (IEDC). “As a state, we’re committed to fueling
our future with growth in the life sciences industry, providing the
business-friendly environment and skilled workforce companies like MiraVista
need to scale up their operations and create good jobs for Hoosiers.”
The Indianapolis-based company, which processes over 100,000 fungal infection
tests annually, will invest more than $5.3 million to expand and equip its
headquarters at 4705 Decatur Blvd., doubling the size of its current facility
to 48,000 square feet. Expected to be operational in December 2019, MiraVista
will grow its on-site infectious disease diagnostic laboratory, which will
allow the company to diversify its testing services to other diseases and scale
up the R&D and production of in-vitro diagnostic devices. The company will
break ground on the expansion later this month.
To accommodate its growth, MiraVista, which currently has 44 full-time
employees, will begin hiring in 2019 for customer service representatives,
laboratory technicians, research scientists and sales and marketing associates.
New positions are expected to offer salaries above both the state and Marion
County average wages. Interested applicants may view open positions and apply
at miravistalabs.com.
“The city of Indianapolis and Decatur Township have been great places to grow
and provide diagnostic testing services both nationally and globally,” said Dr.
Lawrence Joseph Wheat, founder of MiraVista. “As the second largest exporter of
life sciences products in the U.S., only behind California, it’s been a
tremendous source of pride to contribute to Indiana’s robust research and life
sciences industries. The state and city continue to demonstrate a strong
commitment to attracting and keeping businesses and talent here in Indiana.”
MiraVista was founded in 2002 by Dr. Wheat, whose infectious disease research
contributions resulted in the development of the first histoplasmosis antigen
test in 1986. Family owned and operated, the company serves the medical and
healthcare sectors in the U.S. and Canada, processing antigen and antibody
detection tests for Coccidioides
(associated with Valley Fever), Aspergillus,
Histoplasma, Blastomyes and Cryptococcus. MiraVista
offers same-day testing, prompt response, fast shipping and direct access to
the laboratory’s team of experienced infectious disease specialists.
In 2017, MiraVista was awarded a $582,312 Phase 1 research grant from the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) as part of the Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) program, and worked with the Indiana Procurement Technical
Assistance Center (PTAC) and Elevate Ventures to secure
a $50,000 SBIR matching grant. Indiana PTAC, which is committed to helping
Indiana small businesses compete for and win government contracts, offered
counseling and application assistance to MiraVista, while Elevate Ventures,
Indiana’s venture development partner, distributed the matching funds from the
state.
“The concentration of regional commerce in the life sciences sector makes
Indianapolis a perfect location for MiraVista Diagnostics to grow and succeed,”
said Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett. “With the progress of projects like the 16
Tech innovation district on the near west side, Indianapolis is investing in the
future of research and innovation. We’re excited that MiraVista Diagnostics is
part of this momentum.”
The IEDC offered MiraVista up to $275,000 in conditional tax credits and up to
$50,000 in training grants based on the company’s plans to create 31 new jobs
by 2021. These incentives are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are
hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of
Indianapolis will offer a six-year real property tax abatement with approval
from the Metropolitan Development Commission and per the recommendation of
Develop Indy, a business unit of the Indy Chamber. These city incentives
are based on the company’s plans to create 22 new jobs, along with 53 retained
jobs by 2022.
Companies like MiraVista are contributing to a strong and growing life sciences
industry in Indiana. According to BioCrossroads and the Indiana Business
Research Center, Indiana is the second largest exporter of life sciences
products in the U.S. at $8.2 billion in total exports. More than 1,600 life
science companies operate in the state, supporting more than 55,000 Hoosier
jobs with average wages of nearly $95,000 annually.
