Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Humacao Site Expansion

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company announced a $165 million expansion of its facility in Humacao to add manufacturing capacity that will prepare the plant for the production of additional medicines. The project is expected to create 100 full-time jobs at the facility over time.

“Puerto Rico’s highly skilled workforce has contributed significantly to our existing operation and plays an important role in our company’s future growth.”

“This significant investment in our Humacao facility supports the company’s mission of delivering innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases,” said Ricardo Zayas, senior vice president, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Bristol-Myers Squibb. “Puerto Rico’s highly skilled workforce has contributed significantly to our existing operation and plays an important role in our company’s future growth.

The project on the 48.5-acre Humacao campus includes both renovation and new construction encompassing a total of 165,150 square feet. One phase will add 82,000 square feet of new manufacturing space for the planned production of medicines for type 2 diabetes. A second phase involves renovating 83,150 square feet of existing space and equipping it to manufacture new cardiovascular medications.

The project will also introduce a new state-of-the-art pharmaceutical manufacturing technology to Puerto Rico: a novel “active coating” process invented by Bristol-Myers Squibb that delivers the active ingredient into the coating of a tablet.

In addition to investing $165 million in construction and equipment, the company will also add approximately 100 new jobs over time beginning in 2016. These positions include process engineers and operators, scientists, technicians and other skilled workers,and will be phased in as part of a multi-year plan to add manufacturing capacity to meet patient needs.

Construction is expected to begin late this year and be completed in early 2016.

The Humacao expansion is the company’s second major investment in Puerto Rico in recent years. In 2009, Bristol-Myers Squibb completed a $200 million project to expand its site in Manati, Puerto Rico, to support the manufacture of biologic medicines.

200 nuevos empleos en el sector de manufactura

Bard Shannon, Ltd. (Bard) anunció una expansión en sus operaciones locales que representa una inversión de $43 millones y resultará en 200 nuevos empleos en la industria de manufactura.

Como resultado de esta expansión, Bard trasladará la manufactura de sobre 31 productos de su inventario a la nueva planta en Puerto Rico. Esto significa que estos productos, que antes se elaboraban en otros estados y países, ahora se producirán en la Isla.

“Esta expansión no se da en un vacío, los indicadores económicos actualmente indican una expansión en el área de la productividad del sector manufacturero”, afirmó Fortuño. En marzo de 2012, el Índice de Gestión de Compras de Manufactura (PMI) estuvo por encima del nivel de expansión por séptimo mes consecutivo. Además, este índice ha estado en terreno de expansión en 18 de los últimos 22 meses, lo cual refleja un sector de manufactura que da indicios de estar en fase de expansión. Además, los factores del PMI indican que para marzo 2012 se vio una expansión en la cantidad de órdenes nuevas, en la producción y en empleos

Bard, una manufacturera de equipo médico que incluye catetes, mallas para hernias, sistemas de biopsia, entre otros, estableció operaciones en Puerto Rico en 1981 y,  actualmente, mantiene 466 empleados.

Pall Corporation Sells Part of Puerto Rico Operations

Pall Corporation, a filtration, separation and purification products manufacturer for life sciences industry, has entered into an agreement to sell certain assets of its blood collection, filtration and processing product lines to Haemonetics Corporation for approximately $550 million.

"As a result of the transaction, Pall will increase its focus on businesses and markets where our competitive advantages are greatest,” said Larry Kingsley, President and CEO of Pall. “The impact of this decision is that Pall's overall profitability profile and long-term growth rate will be enhanced."

Assets included in the transaction are Pall’s portfolio of blood collection, processing and filtration systems and equipment for transfusion medicine. The transaction will involve the transfer of manufacturing facilities in Covina, California; Tijuana, Mexico; Ascoli, Italy and a portion of Pall’s operations in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Separate from these manufacturing facilities, Pall will also transfer related blood media manufacturing capability to Haemonetics.The transfer of the related media lines is expected to be completed by 2016.Until that time, Pall will provide these media products under a supply agreement. Upon closing, approximately 1,300 employees will transition to Haemonetics. 

The transaction, which is expected to close at the beginning of Pall’s fiscal year 2013, is subject to certain closing conditions, regulatory approvals and labor-related notifications. 

Headquartered in Braintree, Massachusetts, Haemonetics is a global healthcare company dedicated to providing innovative blood management solutions. 

"Today manual whole blood collection is a $1.2 billion global market,” said Brian Concannon, Haemonetics' President and CEO. “This acquisition is an important and exciting step toward our objective of serving that market. The Pall business assets provide us with leading filter technology and manufacturing capability, a broad portfolio of manual collection and processing products, a strong and experienced employee base and relationships with major blood authorities and key customers we have in common. Combined with our internal development initiatives to automate whole blood collection and our suite of blood management software, Haemonetics will represent the broadest product offering to address our customers' needs in the whole blood market, a market with more than 60 million procedures per year."

Revenue for the product lines being divested is expected to be approximately $230 million in Pall’s fiscal year 2012.

Pall Corporation, with total revenues of $2.7 billion for fiscal year 2011, is an S&P 500 company with almost 11,000 employees. IN 2006, the company announced its plans to expand its Life Sciences manufacturing operations in Fajardo, Puerto Rico through the establishment of a Life Sciences Center of Excellence.  At the time, Pall expected to invest around $50 million in facilities, machinery and equipment and add more than 250 full-time jobs in Puerto Rico by the year 2010.  Eric Krasnoff, Chairman and CEO of Pall made the announcement at the Pall Fajardo plant 

In 2008, Pall appointed Senior Vice President Felix M. Negron, to lead global manufacturing and supply chain operations for the company's Life Sciences business.