Argenta, a New Zealand-owned company that creates, develops and manufactures products for the global animal health industry, has purchased its first EU manufacturing facility in Dundee, Scotland, and kicked off operations on April 3rd.
Argenta has acquired the 81,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and operational business from global animal pharmaceutical company, Elanco Animal Health, to grow its presence in the European market.
The Kiwi company’s expansion into the EU follows its successful move into the United States in 2016, with the opening of a large-scale manufacturing facility in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
“Our expansion into the US last year resulted in unprecedented interest in our business, which has both increased the demand for our services in the US and Europe, and brought more research business to New Zealand,” says Argenta’s CEO and founder, Dr. Doug Cleverly.
The 118 former Elanco employees based at the Dundee site have been welcomed into Argenta’s global team, which works across five international sites in New Zealand, the United States and United Kingdom.
Cleverly says: “Having a group of highly-skilled, locally-based employees, along with an excellent manufacturing facility and site, gives us great confidence as we launch into the EU market. Argenta Dundee gives us the resources, expertise and technical capabilities to continue to grow our European footprint, and to further improve the breadth of services we can offer to our growing global client-base.”
He continues: “The new site will greatly complement our other Argenta manufacturing sites, which are fuelled by the research and development of new products.”
Argenta Dundee encompasses a recently modernised manufacturing plant, laboratories and warehouse spaces for the production of high-quality animal health products, including non-sterile liquids, suspensions, and gels. It also expands Argenta’s service offering to include low-dose tube filling, small bottle pouch filling, labelling and packaging.
After some initial restructuring, Argenta plans to grow the new Dundee operation, supported by a commercial supply agreement with Elanco Animal Health.
Paul Lewis, managing director of Scottish Development International, the Government’s organisation to attract overseas business, says of Argenta’s purchase: “Investors are continuing to look to Scotland for new and expansion projects and Argenta’s investment reflects yet another vote of confidence in our flourishing life sciences industry. It is testament to the strength of our skilled workforce and our supportive business infrastructure that Argenta has selected Dundee for the next stage of its European expansion and we look forward to working with the company to grow its business in Scotland.”
Photo: Argenta’s CEO and founder, Dr. Doug Cleverly.
