Sartorius inaugurates $130M expansion of its Yauco facilities
German company Sartorius inaugurated the expansion of its manufacturing facilities in Yauco, following an investment of $130 million, and the creation and retention of 895 jobs.
“In mid-2018, we announced an increased commitment by Sartorius to expand the company to double its production, despite the difficult situations that we’re facing in Puerto Rico after the passage of Hurricanes Irma and María,” said Gov. Ricardo Rosselló during the walk-through of the new facilities.
“The retention and creation of these jobs solidifies our business industry and serves as an example for future investors that the island continues to evolve in different dimensions,” he said.
The investment added 330,000 square feet to the facility and will generate 300 jobs and retain 595 current employees, which implies an estimated payroll increase of $10 million per year, government officials said.
During his visit to the plant, Rosselló was flanked by Sartorius CEO Joachim Kreuzburg, Sartorius CFO Rainer Lehmann and Economic Development and Commerce Secretary Manuel Laboy.
“Sartorius is a great example of how foreign companies find the right people in Puerto Rico, regardless of atmospheric storms, and continue investing in the island and relying on highly qualified human capital,” Laboy said.
The Sartorius expansion received $8.75 million in incentives from the Special Fund for Economic Development, to assist in the purchase of equipment and costs associated with installation, validation, qualification of the equipment in the new installations and for the creation and retention of jobs, he said.
Sartorius is dedicated to production, inventory management, storage, exports and imports of membrane filters and devices for handling fluids for the food and biopharmaceutical industries.
“The expansion represents an important investment for us both operationally and strategically,” said Kreuzburg.
“Production capacity, now considerably higher, gives us more scope to supply our American customers with an even wider range of products directly from the region, and at the same time carry out our ambitious growth plans in America,” he said.
Sartorius began operations in Yauco in 1982, with a commitment to create 75 regular jobs, with an estimated payroll of $522,600 and an investment of $5 million. It has completed several expansions since.
