Originally Published PMPN October
2004
NEWS
West Pharmaceutical Services Opens New Plant |
| West Pharmaceutical’s new facility in Kinston, NC, covers 144,000 sq ft. |
Less than two years after a deadly explosion destroyed its Kinston, NC, manufacturing
plant, West Pharmaceutical Services (Lionville, PA) has officially opened
a new facility in the same city. The new 144,000-sq-ft plant was opened in a
late-August ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“We’ve been shipping product since March and are currently running
at about 55% capacity,” says Troy Player, plant manager for the facility.
The company broke ground on the project in July 2003. The previously unoccupied
structure consists of more than 100,000 sq ft of industrial space on approximately
25 acres of land. “It’s a state-of-the-art molding manufacturing plant,”
adds Player.
The building is located in downtown Kinston, about 10 miles from the original
plant. The January 29, 2003, explosion and fire, which killed four plant workers
and injured 27 others, is still under investigation. The destroyed facility,
which employed 255 people, was used to manufacture syringe plungers and intravenous
fitments for drug-delivery systems. It was also used to compound rubber materials
for distribution to other West plants. The majority of the molding tools were
recovered from the fire.
West will compression mold medical device components such as sleeve stoppers
and syringe plungers at the new plant. The plant also features new floors, an
external mechanical room, and new external administrative offices. It contains
new mills, extruders, compression molding presses, and trim presses. Current
plans call for 200 employees to eventually staff the facility. The company expects
the molding capacity to be equivalent to the former site’s capacity.
West Pharmaceutical manufactures components and systems for in-jectable, parenteral,
oral, and pulmonary drug delivery. In addition, the company provides analytical
laboratory services for testing primary drug packaging components and systems.
The Kinston ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by several North Carolina state
and local officials. Kinston mayor Johnnie Mosley and congressman Walter B.
Jones (R–NC) were among the speakers. Bruce Parson, president, Kinston/Lenoir
County Chamber of Commerce, was emcee for the event, which in-cluded performances
by the Kinston Senior High School band and the West community choir. West employee
Earlene White was a featured soloist.
”Today I am proud to acknowledge the hard work and contri-bution of the
many people who have made this day possible,” commented Donald E. Morel
Jr., PhD, chairman and CEO of West Pharmaceutical Services, during the ceremony.
“The opening of our new Kinston facility marks an exciting new beginning
for our employees, our customers, and the Kinston community.”
Copyright ©2004 Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News
