Wasdell opening ‘gateway’ into Europe, North America with new Ireland-based facility
The outsourcing services provider is opening a new facility in Dundalk, Ireland in Spring 2019 following a previously announced €30m ($34.7m) investment.
Wasdell will offer quality control (QC) import testing for pharmaceutical products as well as various current and novel packaging technologies with the addition of the 90,000 square foot facility.
The addition also will boost its storage and distribution services outside of its headquarters in the UK.
According to the company, the facility also will “futureproof” following a potential hard Brexit when the UK exits the European Union (EU) in March 2019.
“Having facilities in different countries gives you a lot of protection and allows for flexible operations. By implementing a global quality system across our sites, the standard of GMP [good manufacturing practice] will be consistent,” Wasdell CEO Martin Tedham told us.
With a presence in Ireland, the company will be able to conduct EU release testing, to help ensure continuous customer supply regardless of Brexit negotiation outcomes.
“We will not be offering a partial solution by putting a limited scope MIA [manufacturing import application] in place and by building a facility with a full MIA we have the capability to manage customers complex supply chains,” said Tedham. “In short, they can take advantage of a full-service offering.”
Export business accounts for approximately 75% of Wasdell’s current turnover – and its customer base is expected to continue to grow significantly in the US, according to the company.
“The Irish market is interesting because it’s a very useful gateway not only into Europe but also into North America, which is helpful when doing business with US clients and why a lot of companies are establishing a presence there,” said Tedham.
“We chose Ireland because of these transport links, it’s ideal really given our customer base. In addition, we expect the Irish market to continue to grow over the next few years,” he added.
The facility – which broke ground August 2018 – is expected to create around 800 jobs, including senior management, as well as various roles across operations, quality, technical, commercial, financial, warehousing, laboratory, and production.
It is expected to be fully operational by spring 2019. Tedham said, “We currently have a number of customers that are filing products with the new facility, which is a good sign of things to come.”
Plans to build an additional facility close to the Dundalk site to expand the company’s distribution offering are also underway.
The new Dundalk facility is the most recent addition as part of the company’s investment plan to increase its capabilities and capacity. Wasdell in June of this year announced a new £500K ($642K) microbological and analytical laboratory at its Newcastle, UK, site.
