Tekni-Plex Builds $15 Million Plant in China

Tekni-Plex Inc. has built a $15 million manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China, to meet demand for pharmaceutical and medical devices in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Wayne, Pa.-based company is phasing out another plant it operated in the city near Shanghai since 2005 as it ramps up production at the new 140,000-square-foot site.

The initial lines are making products for three of Tekni-Plex's business units: Navtar, which produces pharmaceutical-grade tubing; Colorite, which customizes compounds for medical devices; and Action Technology, makes dip tubes used in a variety of pharmaceutical, food and beverage, personal care, industrial and household pump applications.

The facility also will manufacture the silicone extrusion tubing for catheters, feeding tubes, drug delivery and peristaltic pumps that Navtar recently introduced, as well as microextrusion tubing for various neurovascular interventional therapies and surgical applications.

"Tekni-Plex's investment in our new China facility is another step in our continuing commitment to support our customers with robust global supply," CEO Paul Young said in a news release. "Pharmaceutical, medical device and other manufacturers want access to exactly the same components and materials regardless of where in the world their manufacturing facility is located. It is our goal to meet those objectives."

Founded in 1967, TekniPlex develops and manufactures packaging materials, medical compounds and medical tubing for major companies at 30 manufacturing sites in eight countries.