Evonik Invests in Birmingham, Alabama

Evonik Corporation said it invested more than $50 million over the last four years in its Birmingham, Ala., Health Care facility to boosts its capabilities around biodegradable polymers and parenteral medicine. As part of these expenditures, the Birmingham site is now home to Evonik’s global Competence Center for Medical Devices, which aims to develop new system solutions for medical technology and to expand the competencies of Evonik in the areas of biomaterials and medical polymers.

Additionally, the company is installing a new GMP powder/liquid filling line for its parenteral drug delivery business. The new, state-of-the art fill line will allow the business to extend its service offering for the development and manufacture of complex injectable dosage forms by adding a commercial scale line capable of filling a variety of vial sizes at very high speeds under sterile conditions.

Evonik has also begun constructing a new RESOMER production facility adjacent to its existing plant. When completed, the project will help Evonik meet the growing global demand for bioresorbable polymers. Besides greater production capacity, the project will also result in new production clean rooms and a pilot unit for polymer contract research projects.

RESOMER polymers are used to formulate extended release parenteral drug delivery systems and to manufacture bioresorbable medical devices such as plates and screws for trauma and orthopedic applications, as well as bioresorbable stents and coatings for next generation cardiovascular treatments. This new facility will enhance Evonik’s current capabilities for sophisticated manufacturing of client’s proprietary biomaterials.

The fill line and RESOMER plant are expected to be on stream in second half of 2018. The combined improvements to the site will lead to more than 50 new jobs in Alabama.

“Evonik’s investments in the Birmingham site reflect its commitment to the medical device and drug delivery business as well as the city of Birmingham and its history of world-class medical research and technology,” said Kel Boisvert, Birmingham site manager for Evonik.

The additions to the Birmingham site were made possible through tax credits and incentives from the city of Birmingham, Jefferson County and the State of Alabama.

“Evonik and its predecessor companies have been active in Alabama for more than 40 years, and we have thrived thanks to the skilled workforce and business-friendly environment here. We appreciate the city, county and state’s recognition of Evonik’s contributions to the local and statewide economy and look forward to continuing to serve the global healthcare market from our Birmingham site,” said John Rolando, president of Evonik North America.

Evonik employs more than 1,000 people in Alabama between Birmingham Labs and its Mobile production site, which is also its largest in North America. Birmingham Labs serves as the company’s hub for parenteral drug delivery and associated partner drug production and custom manufacturing.