A scientific site on Tyneside is set for expansion following a multimillion-dollar investment from its owners.
Parker Bioscience Filtration, part of the global Parker Hannifin group, is set to receive the boost for its Birtley base, to help it increase production capacity. The investment comes as the firm sees growing demand from the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and food and beverage industries and comes two years after the business expanded its manufacturing facilities to supporting the production of vaccines.
The latest investment includes enhancement of the site’s filter capsule and filter cartridge manufacturing facilities, and installation of a new water treatment plant this year to more than double the site’s water plant capacity. Parker Bioscience Filtration also has sites in Oxnard, US, and Jangangongdan, South Korea, which support customers both locally and globally in improving process control, efficiency and supply chain security.
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The company designs, supplies and delivers systems for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and provides integrated bioprocessing solutions that speed up development times.
Laurent Pouchard, general manager at Parker Bioscience Filtration’s Birtley site, said: “This investment in our Birtley site is testament to Parker’s commitment to our European customer base and further strengthens our manufacturing capabilities. It will enable us to meet growing demand from the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and food and beverage industries for our solutions, and builds on the ongoing success of the site.”
As part of the investment, Parker’s filter capsule production capabilities will be enhanced by new manufacturing equipment and machinery for end-capping and testing. Increased investment in the site’s membrane manufacturing facilities will support the creation of a new membrane filter production line.
The new development plans follow a major expansion of the Birtley site in 2019, which included the creation of modern office and conferencing spaces, extended laboratories, a new clean room for the production of single-use technologies, as well as manufacturing and testing facilities.
