The $100m (€89.2m) investment at the Yauco, Puerto Rico, facility doubled the production capacity of membrane filters and single-use bags for biopharmaceutical manufacture, most of which are supplied to the US.
Joachim Kreuzburg, CEO and executive board chairman of Sartorius, said in a statement, “Operationally and strategically, this expansion is an important investment for us. The considerably higher production capacities created as a result now give us leeway to deliver an even wider product array directly from the region to our American customers and to implement our ambitious growth plans in the Americas.”
After three years of construction, the factory site is 2m-square-feet and is designed to enable additional growth in the long-term, as Sartorius can double its manufacturing capabilities once more if needed.
Sartorius opened its facility in Yauco and has been manufacturing filter membranes there since 1982, adding the production of sterile single-use bags in 2012. The facility currently employees more than 500 people.
According to this was the first time Sartorius added production capacity for manufacturing filter membranes outside of its headquarters in Göttingen, Germany.
The company currently has 60 manufacturing and sales sites across the globe, employing 8,500 people. Sartorius reported global revenue of $1.68bn in FY18 results.
In March 2019, Sartorius and Novasep collaborated to introduce new membrane technology and single -use solutions into the company’s applications. In doing so, the partnership saw Sartorius supply products for both upstream and downstream processing equipment.