HARRISBURG, Pa., April 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With a boost from state investments, a safety medical device company has relocated its world headquarters to York County in an $8.7 million expansion project that will create 33 high-wage jobs, Governor Rendell announced today.
Unilife Medical Solutions will occupy a manufacturing facility in Lewisberry that has been used by one of its subsidiaries, Integrated BioSciences. Unilife will manufacture innovative healthcare safety products, like its pre-filled syringe, which can help protect people from needlestick injuries and other unsafe injection practices. The expansion project will create at least 33 jobs and retain at least 87 positions, although the company expects to exceed those figures.
“The arrival of the global headquarters for a rapidly expanding medical device company would be incredible news under any circumstance, but it’s especially noteworthy in these tough economic times,” said Governor Rendell. “Unilife’s arrival underscores the importance of working hard, every day, to bring companies to Pennsylvania. We must invest in projects that create employment opportunities in high-growth industries and leverage private-sector investment in the state.”
Unilife Medical Solutions designs, develops, manufactures and supplies innovative safety medical devices for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. Core areas of business activity are the pharmaceutical market for prefilled syringes, the healthcare market for sharps safety devices, and medical device contract manufacturing.
The company recently entered into an exclusive five-year agreement with Sanofi-Aventis to industrialize the Unilife pre-filled syringe. Production of the syringe began at the Lewisberry facility last year, and the industrialization program for its high-volume production is now underway. Unilife will also manufacture the Unitract 1mL range of syringes at its Lewisberry facility for use in healthcare facilities and by people with diabetes.
“We are grateful for the support of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and, in particular, Governor Rendell for showing the leadership to attract international investment and enhance the reputation of the state as a place to do business,” said Alan Shortall, Unilife Medical Solutions CEO. “As a fast-growing multinational business active in global healthcare and pharmaceutical markets, we are proud to be creating high-caliber jobs and investment within the life sciences sector of central Pennsylvania. The global financial crisis has provided us with an opportunity to enhance our human capital by recruiting highly skilled professionals from interstate and around the world who would not normally be available.
“To help us build a world-class team that can implement our strategic business plan, more than 100 people will be working at our Lewisberry facility by Christmas,” Shortall said. “This is more than double the number employed here at this time last year.”
The company’s project was coordinated through the Governor’s Action Team, economic development professionals who serve as a single point-of-contact for businesses that are considering locating or expanding in the state. Pennsylvania is providing the company with a $1.8 million funding program that includes a $100,000 opportunity grant, a $1 million loan from the machinery and equipment loan fund, a $600,000 grant from the Infrastructure and Facilities Improvement Program, and $75,000 in job training assistance
Since Governor Rendell took office in 2003, GAT has successfully completed 1,112 projects, resulting in commitments to create 118,820 new jobs and retain 276,946 existing positions. The commonwealth has offered more than $2.1 billion in assistance for these projects, which will leverage more than $14.2 billion in additional investment.
For more information about Unilife Medical Solutions, visit www.unilife.com
For information on the Governor’s Action Team, visit www.NewPA.com or call 1-866-466-3972.
The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell’s initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit www.governor.state.pa.us.
CONTACT:
Luke Webber (DCED) 717-783-1132
Michael Smith 717-783-1116
SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor
