
Thermo Fisher completes $76M cell culture manufacturing site near Buffalo, NY
Thermo Fisher has completed the expansion of one of its manufacturing facilities in New York, taking another step forward in its broader investment plan for sites in the US and globally.
The $76 million expansion of its dry powder media manufacturing facility in Grand Island, New York, just north of Buffalo, will allow more capacity to support Thermo Fisher’s global supply and extend its capabilities for materials used in vaccines and biologic therapy development and manufacturing.
The Grand Island expansion was announced earlier last year as part of the company’s $650 million investment into several infrastructure projects to increase its bioprocessing production. That investment includes site expansions across the US, UK, Singapore and China.
“Our expanded Grand Island site represents a significant milestone in our investment to double our total manufacturing capacity by the end of 2023. With the harmonized capabilities of our global manufacturing sites that enable us to prove equivalency in manufacturing, we’re able to support current demand while priming for future growth and continuously enhancing our customer experience globally,” said Kate Torchilin, president of biologicals and chemicals at Thermo Fisher, in a statement.
The expansion adds more than 45,000 square feet of manufacturing space for the production of Gibco Advanced Granulation Technology (AGT) and dry powder media as well as cell cultures and liquid supplements.
According to the company, the additional space will also help accelerate the development and production of biotherapeutics and vaccines, and allow process capabilities and equipment to provide production redundancy and shorten product manufacturing lead times.
The Grand Island expansion is expected to add 100 employees across roles in R&D, operations, manufacturing, HR, engineering and maintenance. Thermo Fisher currently employs more than 1,600 people at the Grand Island site and more than 3,000 people across the state of New York.
According to Thermo Fisher, the site has been in operation for more than 60 years and home to Gibco cell products, which are widely used in biomanufacturing worldwide.
Earlier this year Thermo Fisher opened a $44 million facility in Ogden, Utah, that will manufacture highly customizable bioprocess container systems as a part of the spending spree.