Fresenius Kabi is expanding its pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Wilson, North Carolina. Credit: Business Wire.
The expansion will increase the facility’s prefilled syringe production capacity. Credit: Fresenius Kabi.
Fresenius Kabi is investing $100m in the expansion. Credit: Fresenius Kabi.

German pharmaceutical firm Fresenius Kabi is expanding its pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Wilson, North Carolina.

On completion, the expansion is expected to increase the facility’s capacity for manufacturing generic drugs in ready-to-administer pre-filled syringes. Fresenius Kabi is investing more than $100m in the facility for this expansion.

Announced in November 2017, the expansion will create 445 jobs in the region. It is Fresenius Kabi’s second project in North Carolina, following a previous announcement of plans to build a manufacturing facility in Wilson, which will produce products for hospitals and clinics across the US and Canada.

Details of the Fresenius Kabi facility expansion

The Wilson facility is one of the country’s largest biotechnology centres. Its expansion will allow Fresenius Kabi to invest in the development of products and operations to meet growing demand.

The expansion is intended to modernise the facility into a global centre for prefilled syringe production.

The existing manufacturing facility employs more than 100 people in various roles. The expansion will increase the number of employees at the facility to more than 500 by adding various roles, including production specialists, engineers, scientists and managers.

“[The] expansion will allow Fresenius Kabi to invest in the development of products and operations to meet growing demand.”

Benefits of the expansion for North Carolina

Manufacturing contributes 22% to North Carolina’s economic output. The expansion project will allow North Carolina to retain its position in the manufacturing and life sciences sectors. It is estimated to boost the state’s economy by $853m.

Financing and incentives for the Wilson plant expansion

North Carolina’s Economic Investment Committee has approved a 12-year job development investment grant for the project. Under the terms of the grant, Fresenius Kabi will create 445 jobs over five years.

The company will receive a $7.2m reimbursement over 12 years as a benefit for the tax revenues generated by the jobs it creates.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership, the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Wilson County and the Wilson Economic Development Council collaborated with the state government to provide the grant.

Details of the Wilson manufacturing facility

In January 2016, Fresenius Kabi acquired the Wilson manufacturing plant from American medical technology company Becton Dickinson and Company (BD). The facility was part of BD’s Rx business.

Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2012, the facility is equipped with state-of-the-art manufacturing and packaging technologies. It develops various drugs in ready-to-administer pre-filled syringes.

Marketing commentary on Fresenius Kabi

Based in Bad Homburg, Germany, Fresenius Kabi is a healthcare company involved in the development of medical devices, life-saving technologies and clinical nutrition products.

The company’s US headquarters is located at Lake Zurich, Illinois, and employs 1,500 people. The company operates manufacturing sites at Bensenville, Skokie, Lake Zurich and Melrose Park and has a total workforce of more than 3,000 in the US.

Fresenius Kabi also has production plants in New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.