Oliver-Tolas Healthcare Packaging announced a $1.3 million investment in its Grand Rapids, Michigan facility. The investment includes a manufacturing area expansion, additional cleanroom installations, and the modernization and expansion of its Packaging Development and Technology Center.
The manufacturing area expansion adds 40,000 sq ft to the existing 140,000 sq ft of production space. The new manufacturing space allows Oliver-Tolas to enhance its work flow, expand its cleanroom, and meet growing demand for Xhale [4] hot melt adhesive coated packaging, the company said.
Oliver-Tolas’ Grand Rapids facility first installed cleanroom capability in 2005, producing Osurance [5] zone coated lids and several specialty medical packaging products in a ISO 7 (FED STD class 10,000) cleanroom. With the 2012 expansion, the balance of Oliver-Tolas’ Xhale [4] lids will be produced in a ISO 8 (class 100,000) cleanroom.
There are also plans to install cleanroom capabilities for pouch production at Grand Rapids and its sister facility in Feasterville, Pennsylvania. Oliver-Tolas’ Venray, The Netherlands facility already produces lids and pouches in a ISO 8 (class 100,000) cleanroom.
"For many years, we have been serving a specialized customer base who values sterile-grade materials produced in a clean room,” said Jeff Murak, VP of Sales and Marketing. “Now that customer base is growing to include a broad base of medical device manufacturers and we are excited to be expanding our cleanroom capabilities to meet the growing demand."
Coinciding with the expansion of the Grand Rapids production space, Oliver-Tolas also completed the modernization of its Packaging Development and Technology Center, which includes a 2000 square foot state-of-the-art technical laboratory and conference center. In addition to the extensive analytic and testing capability, the Center also houses 8 scientists, packaging engineers, and other technical experts, providing the medical device industry with a wide range of world-class technical capabilities and consultancy services to assist MDMs with packaging ideation and development, optimization, validation, usability studies and other technical service needs.
“The modernization and expansion of our Packaging Development and Technology Center provides an environment more conducive to innovation and problem solving. Containing state of the art analytical tools, our new technology center helps to further distinguish Oliver-Tolas as the industry’s ‘go to’ medical packaging experts” said Dr. Jane Severin, Vice President of Technology at Oliver-Tolas.
“Our objective is to provide our customers advanced industry information, systems solutions, and enhanced analytical services to help them achieve their business goals,” she added.
