Sandoz, the generics division of Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis, has opened a new PLN171m (€42m; US$47m) packaging centre in Stryków, Poland, in one of the largest investment projects in the region's pharmaceutical sector completed in recent years. The plant is expected to reach full production by the end of this year.
The expansion has already led to the creation of 90 new jobs, soon to be followed by at least 40 more. Sandoz's workforce in Poland is currently around 1,200, of which about 450 people work in Stryków.
The Stryków plant is one of the biggest Sandoz facilities, producing five billion tablets a year which are exported to nearly 60 countries worldwide, including Poland. Among others, the plant produces painkillers, anti-inflammatory medicines (ketoprofen), diabetes medicines (metformin, glimepiride), as well as medications for vascular hypertension (ramipril, torasemide). As part of the enlargement of the production and logistics site in Stryków, a modern packaging and warehousing centre has been added to the facility.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was led by Poland's Deputy Prime Minister Janusz Piechociński, who underlined the importance of the Sandoz investment for the development of the Polish economy.
We will be able to pack around four billion manufactured tablets
The construction of the Sandoz Packaging Centre has taken nearly two years – it started in June 2013 and ended in the second quarter of this year. Previously, the majority of the tablets produced in Stryków were transported to other Sandoz facilities for packing. At the first stages of the construction project, eight state-of-the-art packaging lines and a fully automated warehousing system have been installed in the new building, which will enable the packaging process to be carried out directly at the manufacturing site.
Ard van der Meij, President of the Board of Sandoz Poland, said: 'This investment will greatly facilitate the manufacturing and packaging process, as we will be able to pack around four billion manufactured tablets, without the need to send them to external packaging facilities.'
Van der Meij added: 'Poland plays a vital role in our company’s growth strategy. This investment will increase the capacity of the plant and, simultaneously, reduce costs. Our decision to expand the Stryków site was motivated by two key considerations: the excellent location of the site, right at the heart of Europe, and the accessibility to highly qualified personnel.'
