Roche Molecular Systems Builds World's Largest Molecular Diagnostics Manufacturing Facility
Roche Diagnostics is investing $155 million in the new, state-of-the-art PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) Manufacturing Center, "Project PMC", which will be located at 1080 U.S. Highway 202 in Branchburg, New Jersey. The new manufacturing facility will have a phased occupancy beginning in late 2004, and will employ up to 800 people.
Project PMC is being built to provide the manufacturing and supply functions for the company's business unit Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. (RMS) which develops industry-leading diagnostic kits based on its Nobel-prize winning PCR technology. The new plant will allow RMS to consolidate all functions currently operating in New Jersey (Belleville, Totowa and Branchburg) to one centralized location.
"We are excited about today's event because it represents a major milestone for Project PMC," said Joanne Spadoro, Ph.D., Senior VP of Operations at RMS. "This significant investment demonstrates our entire company's commitment to developing new products that address the future demands of the healthcare community. With the recent outbreaks of such serious infections like SARS and the West Nile Virus, it is vital that companies like ours have the capability to rapidly respond to production needs for quality diagnostic tests."
"Our Belleville manufacturing plant is 65 years old," explained Robert Towey, Senior VP and General Manager for RMS. "Project PMC has been designed to optimize productivity, enhance product flow efficiencies and deliver world-class quality. The increased capacity will allow for the necessary growth to meet the demands, in particular, of our blood screening and women's health product areas."
The facility will include an 110,000 square foot, one-story manufacturing facility, a 33,000 short-term warehousing area, a 22,000 square foot packaging area and a 22,000 square foot utility area. A two-story office building, totaling 33,000 square feet, will be connected to house manufacturing operations personnel. The remaining space will be for common and mechanical areas. An outside warehouse will be leased so that all New Jersey activities will be located in Branchburg.
In late August, Torcon, Inc. of Westfield, NJ, the construction management company for Project PMC, was given OSHA's (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) highest level of recognition – STAR status – for its superior safety and management practices on the new RMS facility. Einhorn Yaffee Prescott of New York City is the architectural firm and Fluor Daniel of Greenville, South Carolina is the engineering firm for Project PMC.
Local officials have been actively involved in Project PMC since April 1991 when the property was purchased. Today's event featured remarks from The Honorable Mayor Sanford, Township of Branchburg, and key Roche executives, including Heino von Prondzynski, Head of the Diagnostics Division and Member of the Roche Executive Committee; Heiner Dreismann, Ph.D., CEO of RMS; and Joanne Spadoro, Ph.D., Senior VP of Operations for RMS.
About Roche and Roche Diagnostics
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading innovation-driven healthcare groups. Its core businesses are pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is number one in the global diagnostics market, the leading supplier of pharmaceuticals for cancer and a leader in virology and transplantation. As a supplier of products and services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people's health and quality of life. Roche employs roughly 65,000 people in 150 countries. The Group has alliances and research and development agreements with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Roche's Diagnostics Division, the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics with a uniquely broad product portfolio, supplies a wide array of innovative testing products and services to researchers, physicians, patients, hospitals and laboratories world-wide. For further information, please visit our websites www.roche.com and www.roche-diagnostics.com.