Ribbon-cutting ceremony at Midwest Healthcare Textile Services plant

Source: http://www.americanlaundrynews.com/

Aramark Facility Recognized for Resource Conservation

An industrial laundry facility operated by Midwest Healthcare Textile Services, a joint venture of Aramark and Iowa Health System, utilizes new technologies to recycle water and economize on energy consumption. According to an article in American Laundry News, "The 48,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility incorporates ‘green’ technology to save water and energy. It processes 13 million pounds of linen used annually by Iowa Health System hospitals from across the state." "Midwest Healthcare Textile Services opened last summer to replace three aging laundries housed at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines, Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge and Allen Hospital in Waterloo," says the report. An earlier write-up estimates the state will save $5 million annually by centralizing the laundry facilities.

Gary Cook is IAMC’s Active member with Aramark.

3M’s headquarters in St. Paul, MN

Source: http//www.3M.com

3M Plans New Coatings Plant in Singapore

Citing the need to reduce taxes and shipping costs, 3M has indicated it will locate a facility to manufacture high-technology coatings in Singapore. An article in "Printed Circuit Design and Fab" says, "The new film coatings plant in Singapore is intended to augment, but not replace, the company's coatings production capacity. The plant will make coatings for 3M's optical LCD film products, window films and automotive product applications. The facility will reportedly be located in the Tuas Industrial Park, and construction on the plant will be completed in 2009. 3M had previously stated that it could reduce up to $1 billion in freight, supply and tax costs by moving specific operations overseas."

Doyle Shea is IAMC’s Active member with 3M.

Air Products Establishes Hydrogen Plant in Alberta

Hydrogen gas is used by oil companies to increase the output of fields whose production has fallen to a low rate. Reporting on Air Products’ new hydrogen plan in Alberta, an article in Earth Times ribbon cuttingsays, "The newly commercialized facility is the second to be constructed by Air Products to supply hydrogen to Petro-Canada's refinery, as well as several additional customers in the Edmonton area. An earlier facility was successfully placed on-stream in June 2006. The two inter-connected hydrogen facilities are part of Petro-Canada's Refinery Conversion Project that will allow the Edmonton Refinery to run entirely on oil sands feedstock. The project is scheduled for completion in 2008 and will process bitumen from the company's oil sands holdings, along with other oil sands feedstock, into 135,000 barrels per day of refined products." Here’s a simple explanation of how hydrogen is used to improve oil field production.

Susan Reber and Eugene Ervin are IAMC’s Active members with Air Products and Chemicals.

Source: http://www.speedace.info/petroleum.htm

Update: Construction of Pfizer’s New Shanbally, Ireland, Plant Is On

This project was mentioned in IAMC Dispatch Newsletter a few months ago when it was first announced, but since then the company has been quiet about it. Now, Pfizer seems to be fully intent on building the facility and getting it into production a quickly as practical. An article on the project in In-Pharma Technologist says, "The facility will produce small quantities of candidate drugs for clinical trials, creating around 100 jobs when it becomes operational at the end of 2009. It will be built on the 28-acre vacant lot adjacent to Pfizer's existing Ringaskiddy manufacturing unit that has been the subject of much speculation since the firm applied for planning permission last summer." The plant will cost an estimated 190 million Euros.

Sean Nugent and Mark Eichkorn are IAMC’s Active members with Pfizer

Model of Pfizer facility near Ringaskiddy, Ireland

Source: http://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/projects/ringaskiddy

Becton, Dickinson Opens Second Suzhou, China, Facility

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) recently opened a plant in China to manufacture testing materials to diagnose viral diseases. The company’s press release says, "The products manufactured at the new facility are used to diagnose infectious diseases such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus. Over time, BD expects to expand the range of diseases these products can diagnose to include additional bacterial, parasitic and viral diseases. These products will be sold in regions around the world, including Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America." BD has had operations in the province since the mid-1990s. "BD constructed its first facility in Suzhou Industrial Park in 1995 to support the BD Medical business," explains the release.

Karen DeMarinis is the IAMC Active member with Becton, Dickinson & Company.

Grand opening of BD’s new plant in Suzhou, China

Source: http://www.suzhou.gov.cn/

Process equipment in Wyeth Pharmaceuticals plant

Source: www.wyeth.com/.../ehs/vision/casestudies.html

China Speeds up Clinical Trial Permitting after Losing Wyeth Investment

Large drug companies want to take advantage of scientific expertise in China to accomplish important clinical trials. However, bureaucracy there has slowed the permitting process before a trial can begin to as long as nine months. This recently cost China a major drug-company investment. China Bio Today says, "Wyeth told Interfax that it would not create an R&D center in China because the SFDA [State Food and Drug Administration] takes too long to approve initial clinical trials. The IND process in the US and Europe involves only a 30-day waiting period." Possibly in response to this loss, the SFDA recently announced plans to accelerate the permitting process. According to an article in Chemistry World, "The new rules will allow the centre to focus its resources on the most innovative drugs. Drug developers will be offered help to ensure they submit all the documents necessary for speedy approval. The SFDA originally signaled its willingness to fast track approval for particularly novel drugs and treatments for key diseases such as HIV/AIDS in registration guidelines released in July 2007. But details of the scheme have been lacking until now."

Chuck Manula is the IAMC Active member with Wyeth.

Merck to Develop "Center of Excellence" near Boston

Drug maker Merck plans to assemble a special group of scientists in a facility in Billerica, Mass., to develop new cancer treatments. Pharmaceutical Business Review says, "Merck, through its U.S. affiliate EMD Serono, proposes to invest $50 million at its Billerica facility near Boston, Massachusetts. The investment involves the construction of a 'centre of excellence,’ which will station 200 scientists working on cancer and fertility treatments. The construction at the new site is expected to begin early 2009 and be completed in 2010." "In addition to the 100 scientists it plans to hire over the next four years, EMD Serono said it will transfer 100 researchers from Rockland, [Mass.] to Billerica. The company wants to combine its research operations - which focus primarily on developing cancer drugs - in one location. EMD Serono said it hopes to break ground on the building addition early next year and finish construction by 2010, reports the Boston Globe.

Joe Milano is the IAMC Active member with Merck.

Merck facility in Boston

Source: http://www.mobio.org/enewsletters/100907/biobench.asp

Glaxo Expands Dungarvan Plant to Make Tobacco Smoking Cessation Drugs

With its special tax incentives, Ireland is a hot location for new pharmaceutical operations. Now, GlaxoSmithKline has announced plans to expand an existing facility in Dungarvan, Ireland, to make drugs that help people stop smoking. On this, Biotechnology Ireland says, "GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) … is to invest a further €30 million Euros in the expansion of its existing over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Dungarvan, Co., Waterford. The investment, supported by IDA Ireland, will create 50 new high quality jobs over three years in the production of a product to aid smoking cessation, for supply to all markets outside of North America. The jobs will be in areas of production, quality, technical and engineering."

Jack Smith is the IAMC Active member with GlaxoSmithKline.

Dungarvan, Ireland’s, picturesque waterfront

Source: http://www.finfacts.ie/.../article_1013352.shtml

AstraZeneca’s new facility near Frederick, Virginia

Source: http://www.gazette.net/.../businew211805_32320.shtml

AstraZeneca Buys Drug Manufacturer, Builds in Northern Virginia

These days, few industries are investing in new plant and equipment the way pharmaceuticals seem to be. But it is logical to believe that life saving drug sales would not follow the business cycle’s ebb and flow like consumer goods, such as cars and clothing. Recently, drug maker AstraZenca bought the bio-tech company MedImmune. In the Washington Business Journal, Vandana Sinha writes, "MedImmune, Inc., a division of London-based AstraZeneca PLC, plans to wrap up construction early next year on a $250 million manufacturing plant in Frederick. MedImmune's manufacturing abilities are much of what enamoured AstraZeneca in its takeover of the Gaithersburg drug giant."

Debra Haufler is the IAMC Active member with AstraZeneca.

Interior of a Crate and Barrel store

Source: racked.com/archives/2007/08/03/racked_reviews...

Crate and Barrel Taps Prologis for New Distribution Centers

The upscale home furnishings retailer, Crate and Barrel has signed build-to-suit agreements with ProLogis for construction to two large distribution centers near Tracy, Calif. An article on the projects in Central Valley Business Times says, "Two distribution centers – one 827,000 square feet in size and the other enclosing 398,000 square feet – are planned for Tracy in the Central Valley for Crate and Barrel." The economic development organization San Joaquin Partnership was instrumental in helping C&B locate to the area.

Associate member ProLogis is represented in IAMC by Greg Arnold. Associate member San Joaquin Partnerships is represented in IAMC by Michael Locke.