Bolstering Belgian Investments
Parent company Johnson & Johnson (J&J) invests 56.5 million in a major renovation of the Janssen chemical production plant in Geel. To further prepare this manufacturing nerve center of active substances for the future, the company is ratcheting up plant capacity and is introducing new technology.
In the next 3 years, J&J will pump an additional 56.5 million euros into chemical manufacturing. As a launching pad and growth site for new Janssen products, this investment in Geel reinforces J&J's anchoring in Belgium. This site, with 760 employees, produces 70 different active substances for medicines and represents no less than two-thirds of J&J's total capacity. “Geel is by far the largest manufacturer of our raw materials for small molecules and is a key player within the whole of the Janssen Supply Chain,” explains Tom Heyman, CEO.
“This renovation allows the high-tech production unit to continue to fulfill its important role in the manufacture of medicines which meet major medical needs on a global scale,” says Peter Putteman, General Manager of Chemical Production Belgium. “I am very happy with this investment. It is an important signal from Johnson & Johnson that they plan to continue production activities in Belgium well into the future. Each year we invest in the modernization of our manufacturing process, we work on safety, and we introduce new technologies,” adds Peter.
“Ideally, we would close a plant for six months and renovate everything all at once. But that doesn't work in Geel. We cannot simply shut down the supply of medicines to patients. The patients should not notice any changes,” explains Wim Braeckmans, Director of Maintenance, Engineering and Technology. So the renovation requires detailed planning. During the summers of 2014, 2015 and 2016, the factory will close for approximately 2 months. That is longer than the usual 2-week summer break. Before shutting down the plant, more products will have to be produced more rapidly in order to guarantee that the stock of substances is large enough to bridge the period of inactivity. “Then during the shutdown, we can renovate at full speed,” says Wim.
“Significant investments are being made at Janssen in Belgium. In high-tech pharmaceutical manufacturing as well as in research and development. Janssen is anchored in Belgium, and we want to ensure that we will remain in Belgium in the middle- and long-term,” concludes Tom Heyman, CEO Janssen Pharmaceutica.