19th July 2018
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. a global leader in innovative solutions for injectable drug administration, today announced the official opening of its new Waterford, Ireland facility, a global centre of excellence for West’s advanced manufacturing network, and the launch of a new product line—Westar® Select. Customers and senior-level Irish government officials joined West at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the facility’s opening and to recognise West’s ongoing commitment to improving patient lives through their products and services.
“West is very pleased to celebrate the official opening of our state-of-the-art facility in Waterford, as well as the launch of Westar Select, both of which are the culmination of efforts by many to support our Company’s commitment to meeting the dynamic needs of our pharmaceutical and biotech partners,” said Eric Green, President and CEO, West. “Our investment in Waterford, in addition to our previously announced investments in Kinston, North Carolina, United States, Jurong, Singapore, and Dublin, Ireland, enable West to provide the highest levels of quality across the products and services we provide for the global customer base we serve.”
The new, 20,500 square meter facility, situated on a 44-acre campus, will produce West’s proprietary elastomeric laminate sheeting, which is used to package insulin for use in pen injectors. Additionally, it will offer high-value finishing for components, including stoppers and plungers, produced at other West facilities around the world. These services, designed to mitigate the risk of potential contamination and compatibility issues with packaging components, include pharmaceutical washing (Westar® RS components), Envision® verification, steam sterilization (Westar® RU components), and flexible packaging offerings.
Speaking at the event, Minister of State Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD said, “I am delighted to be here to celebrate the opening of West’s new Global Manufacturing Centre. The company’s work is internationally recognised for its excellence in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical packaging and medical devices. This investment reinforces Ireland’s strong track record of attracting companies in the medical devices sector. The Irish Government will continue to prioritise Government support for sectors with real growth potential through our Action Plan for Jobs and encourage investment in regional locations such as Waterford.”
Also speaking at the event, Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development, John Halligan TD said, “I am delighted to attend the official opening of West’s state-of-the-art facility in Waterford. This new, cutting edge, manufacturing site will be a tremendous asset to our Pharma and MedTech industries and will deepen the great partnership between the company and Ireland. This investment is particularly welcome as it supports the Government’s commitment to increase FDI investment throughout all the regions.”
West’s Waterford facility currently employs approximately 100 people in both local and global functions, with plans for additional hiring. Commercial production in Waterford is expected this year. West also has a manufacturing and development centre in Dublin that provides design, development and manufacturing services for pharmaceutical and medical technology customers. The Dublin site recently completed an expansion to accommodate new customer programmes and employs approximately 600 people.
Mary Buckley, Executive Director at IDA Ireland, said, “I welcome this investment by West Pharmaceutical Services, which will significantly bolster the life sciences cluster in the South East. Manufacturing excellence in biopharmaceuticals is a hallmark of Ireland's success in the sector and is one of the primary reasons as to why Ireland is home to 10 of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies. This new high value manufacturing centre not only highlights West’s commitment to Ireland, it also showcases how competitive Ireland is for global enterprise and investment. I wish the company every success and look forward to welcoming future growth announcements.”
West is also a long-time supporter of the local community in which it operates. As part of the opening ceremony, West presented two local non-profit organisations with corporate donations, as well as local, employee-raised contributions that were collected as part of the Company’s grassroots employee giving programme. One of the organisations was Pieta House, who provide a free, therapeutic approach to people who are in suicidal distress and those who engage in self-harm. The other organisation, the Waterford Food Bank, was set up by a group of concerned individuals to bring about positive change for every member of every community in Waterford by eradicating food poverty.
For more information on West and current job openings in the region, please visit http://www.westpharma.com/careers.
Ends
Media Contact: Catríona Kennedy
Manager, Global Communications, EU
+353 51 312448
Catriona.kennedy@westpharma.com
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain forward-looking statements are included in this release. These statements reflect management's current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date of this release. Examples of these forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to) West's statements with respect to planned manufacturing capabilities and job creation, and statements regarding West's Westar Select product line and similar words and phrases. While forward-looking statements reflect West's good faith beliefs, assumptions and expectations, they are not guarantees of future performance. There is no certainty that the investments made by West in its global manufacturing footprint or West’s Westar Select product line, or any other West products, will achieve any level of commercial success. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. For a description of certain additional factors that could cause West's future results to differ from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements, see Item 1A, entitled "Risk Factors," in West's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. Except as required by law or regulation, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
About West
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of packaging components and delivery systems for injectable drugs and healthcare products. Working by the side of its customers from concept to patient, West creates products that promote the efficiency, reliability and safety of the world’s pharmaceutical drug supply. West is headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania, and supports its customers from locations in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. West’s 2017 net sales of $1.6 billion reflect the daily use of approximately 112 million of its components and devices, which are designed to improve the delivery of healthcare to patients around the world.
West and the diamond logo, By your side for a healthier world™, Westar® and Envision® are registered trademarks or trademarks of West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., in the United States and other jurisdictions.
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