German drug delivery device maker Gerresheimer is investing around €166m to expand production capacities for medical systems at its Peachtree City site in the US state of Georgia.
At the Peachtree City site, Gerresheimer manufactures inhalers, components for infusion sets, microinjectors, test cards for microbiological tests, and autoinjectors.
The capacity expansion at the site will be completed in two phases.
The plan includes the enlargement of the production area by approximately 18,000m2 and the construction and equipping of the two new buildings.
Gerresheimer said that the endeavour will bolster its presence in the North American market. The expansion project will also create over 400 new employment opportunities in Peachtree City where the current workforce comprises nearly 270 people.
The move is also expected to support the company in providing drug delivery system solutions in the region.
Gerresheimer CEO Dietmar Siemssen said: “North America is an important growth market for us. The expansion of the site in Peachtree City is of great importance for our medical device business in the US.
“The expansion of this site is therefore currently one of the key projects in our global capacity expansions based on long-term customer contracts.”
During the initial phase of expansion, a new building segment spanning 7,700m2 was established adjacent to the existing plant.
Out of this, around 5,000m2 of this space is designated for ISO 14644-1 cleanroom class 9 production areas.
Gerresheimer will install a specialised production technology in the latter half of this year following the completion of the construction work.
Besides, the production ramp-up in the new building segment is scheduled to start by the end of 2024.
Additionally, a new automated high-bay warehouse will be incorporated into the new building.
Upon the completion of this initial expansion phase, the Peachtree City site will have a total of 12,000m2 of cleanroom class 8 and 9 production space.
Under the second phase of expansion, a new plant spanning 10,200m2 is under construction, which is situated around 2.6km from the initial production site.
The new facility will add 7,200m2 of cleanroom class 9 production space, along with an automated high-bay warehouse.
Its construction will start shortly, and the production is expected to start by the end of next year. The site will also have adequate space for expansions in the future.
