CDMO Vetter plans to move and expand its Development Services site from Skokie, IL, to Des Plaines. Simultaneously, the company plans additional major investment in its commercial business in the state of Saarland, located in the Southwest of Germany bordering France and Luxembourg, to complement its capacity expansions in Ravensburg and Langenargen which are currently underway.
These moves more capacity for future customers around the globe as the injectable industry is witnessing a rise in outsourcing development, manufacturing, assembly, and packaging needs to CDMOs, according to Udo J. Vetter, chairman of the board.
“As an independent and family-owned company, we prioritize thoughtful and strategic planning to support our long-term business growth,” said Vetter. “With these investments we reaffirm our commitment on both continents and enable that Vetter Pharma will continue to be part of a growing market in the future.”
A few years ago, Vetter made a strategic investment by acquiring the Des Plaines site. The recent decision by the advisory board will elevate Vetter Development Services to a new level, driven by growing customer needs at the current Skokie site, as well as at the company’s clinical manufacturing site in Rankweil, Austria, continued Vetter.
This development plan involves a construction project at the Des Plaines site and the relocation and expansion of Vetter Development Services U.S. from the Illinois Science and Technology Park over the next years. New buildings for clinical manufacturing and related services will be constructed. The move will effectively double the capacity of Vetter Development Services in the U.S. and provide ample space for future expansion opportunities, noted a company statement.
Path-forward for commercial expansion plans
Vetter executives have been given the approval to exercise an additional commercial production site in Saarlouis, Saarland. This decision aligns with the recently approved “German Pharmaceutical Strategy,” and the growth of investments in research and production facilities in Germany by pharma companies.
The Saarland government plans to develop a technology park on the site in Saarlouis. Vetter has already started planning the phased development of a 125-acre site. The planned investment amounts to a value of several hundred million Euro. Pharmaceutical production at the site is expected to start by 2030 and Vetter is planning to create up to 2,000 new local jobs in the years to come.
“After careful consideration, Germany, and Saarland in particular, prove to be the location with the best-fitting conditions for expanding our commercial operations,” explained Thomas Otto, managing director. “In addition to the existing and growing competencies and capacities at and around our sites in Ravensburg, we will be able to further expand our range of services. We are taking responsibility for patients and customers worldwide who rely on our high level of quality.”
