Sanofi est ici: Morristown makes another French connection

Sanofi ribbon-cutting, May 22, 2025. Gov. Phil Murphy, center, is flanked by Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty and Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson. To Hudson’s right are Zufall CEO Frances Palm and state Sen. Anthony M. Bucco. To Dougherty’s left is Assemblywoman Aura Dunn. Photo by Kevin Coughlin

It was like Morristown’s Second Coming.

First came Lafayette, bearing news in 1780 that French troops would help George Washington fight the British.

On Thursday, French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi arrived bearing its own reinforcements: Nearly 2,000 employees to help fight disease.

“Welcome home!” Mayor Tim Dougherty declared at the ribbon-cutting for Sanofi’s gleaming $130 million New Jersey flagship, a seven-story building adjoining Deloitte’s 2022 office atop a former Morris Street strip mall, now M Station.

Sanofi joins a corporate influx that includes new headquarters for Valley National Bank and, soon, KPMG’s state offices.

Slideshow photos courtesy of Gensler:

Ranked among the world’s largest drug companies, Sanofi develops treatments for diabetes, cancer, and multiple sclerosis, as well as vaccines for influenza and diphtheria. Its top-seller, Dupixent, addresses several conditions. Sanofi recently sold its insomnia drug Ambien to another New Jersey firm.

While most of its U.S. lab work remains in Cambridge, Mass., Morristown will host sales and marketing operations, a spokesperson said.

“DOUBLING DOWN ON SCIENCE”

Gov. Phil Murphy joined Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson and other dignitaries for the grand opening.

“We are proud, beyond proud, that Sanofi is now part of the Morristown story,” Murphy said. In an era when “many are turning away from science and medicine,” he added, “New Jersey and Sanofi are doubling down.”

Murphy praised Sanofi’s role on the state’s AI task force and its community investments.

The company pledged $250,000 to Morristown-based Zufall Health Center, serving low-income patients in nine counties.It co-founded the Meal Recovery Coalition, which distributes surplus cafeteria food statewide.

Sanofi also mentors County College of Morris students and has “adopted” the Morristown train station for beautification efforts.

“This can’t be a fortress,” said Hudson, formerly of Novartis. “It has to be porous… That’s the future of the workplace.”

He called the new site “the best office we have anywhere in the world”—for now.

WELLNESS, WORKSPACES AND WI-FI SHUTTLES

Employees, including Morristown Council President Nathan Umbriac, have been transitioning from a Bridgewater office for two months.

Inside, they’ve found flexible workspaces, meditation rooms, showers, sensors that track desk usage, and walls adorned with New Jersey artists’ murals of birds and nature–in keeping with the building’s eco-friendly design.

The 260,000-square-foot space includes a physician’s office, and a rooftop terrace touted as the largest in New Jersey, with a bar, gardens, grills and yoga area—plus sweeping views of downtown.

Soon, a Tatté Bakery & Café and Morris Proper restaurant will open at street level.

Slideshow photos by Kevin Coughlin:

Staff are expected on site three days a week. To ease commutes, Sanofi fully covers mass transit and runs Wi-Fi-enabled shuttles from five locations.

Beyond M Station, Sanofi has a healthcare products division on South Street (now being spun off) and executive apartments under construction on Maple Avenue.

‘I THINK IT’S BEAUTIFUL’

Zufall CEO Frances Palm thanked Sanofi for its gift and hoped it would inspire others. She aims to expand Zufall’s headquarters into space vacated by Caffe India on Washington Street.

Among attendees were state Sen. Anthony M. Bucco, Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (both R-25th Dist.), Morris County commissioners, six Morristown council members, and local officials from the Morristown Partnership and SJP Properties, developers of M Station alongside Scotto Properties.

Their project began with construction of Deloitte’s tower in 2020, followed by Sanofi’s in 2023, and included a new roundabout and plaza.

While some residents lamented the loss of small eateries and character, the project won support for boosting tax revenue and business foot traffic.

“I think it’s beautiful,” said Courtney Feijol, a Sanofi operations specialist. A 45-minute drive from Plainfield has her eyeing a possible move to Morristown. “I might, down the line.”

As for Mayor Dougherty—eyeing a fifth term and eventual retirement—the thought of working at Sanofi brought a grin.

“But what a great company to go work for,” he mused.