NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has announced that ICON Clinical Research, Inc. is expanding its Brentwood research operations to create 85 new jobs over the next five years.

Lee, along with Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe, made the announcement Tuesday.

ICON Clinical Research provides outsourced development services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical service industries. The company has roughly 370 employees in Tennessee and more than 15,250 employees worldwide.

"ICON Clinical Research's decision to invest in Brentwood is a testament to Middle Tennessee's strong economy and high-quality workforce. I'm thankful that companies like ICON are thriving in our state and the creation of these jobs is a boost to our growing medical research field." said Lee in a statement.