Grace Completes South Haven Expansion Project, Celebrates with Ribbon Cutting
Last month marked an exciting milestone for Grace’s fine chemicals business as we celebrated the official completion of the expanded South Haven, MI, facility. The expansion positions Grace for long-term growth as a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) through the addition of new state-of-the-art equipment and manufacturing space, adding 25% more capacity for pharmaceutical production.
“While this occasion marks the completion of an almost two-year long renovation, it also marks the beginning of a new era for the Materials Technologies business,” said Brenda Kelly, President, Materials Technologies, Grace. “I’m excited about the possibilities we can achieve with these expanded capabilities in our portfolio.”
Ed Sparks, CEO, Grace, touched on the collaborative nature of this project—it required a tremendous amount of coordination across multiple departments as well as with the city of South Haven. “This expansion enables us to grow with our customers—we’re counting on this plant to help our customers deliver pharmaceuticals that have the power to truly change people’s lives,” he remarked to the crowd. Throughout the entire renovation, the plant was fully operational and maintained its rigorous safety and manufacturing standards.
The day of the ribbon cutting was overcast, but that didn’t dampen employees’ and the community’s spirits! The mood was celebratory and warm, as more than 200 employees gathered to enjoy lunch and hear remarks from Grace executives, along with Annie Brown, Mayor, City of South Haven. This site has served South Haven for over 40 years as a major employer in the community, and the expansion cements our commitment to South Haven as well as the vibrant Michigan biopharmaceutical industry.
Operational excellence and innovation are at the heart of our business—and this expansion helps facilitate growth in both of these areas. As a CDMO, the Grace team has the right mix of R&D, quality, technology and manufacturing capabilities to support a variety of customers throughout the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) lifecycle, from lab bench through scale up services to full commercial production.
Grace’s Fine Chemicals Manufacturing Services (FCMS) includes not only the expanded Michigan facility, but also our facility in Tyrone, PA. Together, these two fully integrated North American sites enable Grace to support product development at every stage with extensive capabilities for pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and fine chemicals production.
