Irish-owned global animal health company Bimeda is pleased to today mark the official opening of its state-of-the-art sterile injectable manufacturing facility in Shijiazhuang, China, with a ceremony attended by Ireland’s Ambassador to China, Dr Ann Derwin, representatives of local Chinese government, and Bimeda’s senior leadership team, as well as additional representatives from the Irish Embassy, Enterprise Ireland and the IDA.
The €25 million+ facility -located in in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province - was designed and built to the China Human Drug GMP standard and is the first sterile injectable facility in the province to receive this approval.
An initial team of over 100 people are employed at the plant, which currently manufactures sterile injections and parasite-control products, ranging from 10ml to 500ml vial sizes. Following on from successful GMP audits by relevant authorities, the facility is approved to supply products to China, Africa, Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), with further regulatory approvals for additional markets in progress.
Bimeda’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, was designed and built to the China Human Drug GMP standard.
The formal opening event included a facility tour, speeches by Bimeda Holdings Chairman Donal Tierney, the Irish Ambassador Dr Ann Derwin, Bimeda’s joint venture partner Oliver Wang, and a local government representative, as well as a formal ribbon-cutting and lion dance ceremony.
Ireland’s Ambassador, Dr Ann Derwin speaks at the event
Ambassador Ann Derwin commented, ‘I am delighted to be here today for the official opening of this wonderful Bimeda facility in Shijiazhuang. I think it was very wise of Bimeda to decide to base their new manufacturing plant here in Shijiazhuang, due to its reputation as the medicine hub of China, just as Ireland is the medicine hub of Europe.’
She added, ‘Foreign direct investment between Ireland and China also assists both countries. This facility once again demonstrates the willingness of Irish companies to invest in China. Through positive experiences gained here, I am certain that Bimeda can lead the way for similar investment from other Irish companies in the future. I am proud of what they have achieved and consider them excellent ambassadors for Ireland and the agri-tech sector here in China.’
Chairman of Bimeda Holdings, Donal Tierney, commented, ‘it is with great pride that I announce the formal opening of our manufacturing facility in Shijiazhuang. The facility is the first of its kind to be approved in Hebei province, and this official opening event marks the start of an exciting new chapter in Bimeda’s 60-plus year history of driving global excellence in animal health.’
Bimeda AMEA CEO, Ronan Smith, commented, ‘Our new manufacturing facility complements Bimeda’s existing presence in China, including regulatory and commercial teams, based in Beijing and Shanghai respectively. The new manufacturing facility allows us to bring an increased portfolio to our growing customer base and will serve as a catalyst for substantial strategic growth within both China and the wider AMEA-ANZ regions’.
In addition to its manufacturing line, the facility is home to a raw materials and finished goods warehouse, an R&D laboratory, and on-site validation and quality teams. It is supported by the Bimeda China R&D team and by the Bimeda-Rainbow Labs joint venture raw-materials testing facility, which are both also located in Shijiazhuang.
Bimeda Far East Asia General Manager, Daniel Tierney, added, ‘Today is a momentous occasion for Bimeda. Our Bimeda China division has grown significantly over the past decade and having a direct manufacturing presence will serve as a catalyst for further growth in the country. Despite the pandemic-related disruption to the region over the last three years, we see very positive signs of recovery within China and keen demand from both domestic and international customers’.
The Shijiazhuang plant is Bimeda’s first in China, and the company’s 11th manufacturing facility globally.
Ireland’s Ambassador to China, Dr Ann Derwin, receives a tour of the new Bimeda manufacturing facility in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
