-- Expansions to significantly increase capacity by end of 2021 to meet unprecedented demand
-- Combined expansion of Danvers, Massachusetts, and Jaffrey, New Hampshire, USA facilities to create nearly 700 new positions
-- Business sector's announced 2020 investments total more than € 350 million
DARMSTADT, Germany, Dec. 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Merck, a leading science and technology company, today announced the broadening of its manufacturing footprint with a combined € 40 million investment at its production facilities in Danvers, Massachusetts, and Jaffrey, New Hampshire, USA. These sites supply critical products to customers developing lifesaving therapies, including Covid-19 vaccines, as well as provide products and services for biopharmaceutical manufacturing. These expansions will significantly increase capacity and output at these facilities by the end of 2021 and 2022, respectively, and create nearly 700 new manufacturing positions.
"The global coronavirus pandemic has significantly increased demand for our single-use and virus filtration technologies, which we are supplying to more than 50 different companies working on Covid-19 vaccine candidates," said Chris Ross, interim head, Life Science, at Merck. "These investments will strengthen our global manufacturing footprint, allowing us to meet this unprecedented demand and help get lifesaving vaccines and therapies to more patients, faster."
This expansion will add 6,000 square meters of space to the Danvers single-use assembly operation, adding to the existing 11,000-square-meter facility. The expansion will add the capacity needed to support the manufacturing of products across several portfolios, including Merck's Mobius® single-use consumables. The total investment in Danvers is about € 21 million and will add approximately 400 jobs throughout 2021.
The Jaffrey expansion plans include adding 2,300 square meters to the existing 24,000-square-meter facility. The additional capacity includes new production lines and equipment to support the manufacturing of filtration devices and membrane products, specifically Durapore® filters, Express® filters and the Viresolve® product lines. These products are used to ensure the sterility of many lifesaving therapies and to remove viral contamination for a variety of therapies. The total investment in Jaffrey is about € 18.5 million. This expansion is expected to bring nearly 275 roles by 2022, once the expansion is completed.
These expansions join the Life Science investments announced in 2020 to further enhance capabilities and capacity in Buchs, Switzerland; Carlsbad, California, USA; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; and Darmstadt, Germany, broadening the company's global manufacturing footprint.
More information on the company's contribution to the global Covid-19 response is available here: https://www.merckgroup.com/en/company/press/press-kits/corona-pandemic.html
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About Merck
Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 57,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people's lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2019, Merck generated sales of €16.2 billion in 66 countries.
Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to Merck's technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, MilliporeSigma in life science and EMD Performance Materials.
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