A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Thursday, October 13 to celebrate the expansion of Purolite’s bioprocessing resin production to meet the growing demand for biopharmaceutical products globally.

For Purolite, an EcoLab company, the manufacturing expansion will triple the production capacity of the company’s resins following increased investment in its facilities and workforce.

The new Customer Experience Center features hands-on interactive and educational displays, which showcase Purolite’s expanded bioprocessing solutions.

The new facility is designed to connect Purolite’s applications experts with customers to help solve their most pressing challenges. Included in the expansion is increased office space, training areas and conference room facilities.

This is the latest phase of a multi-million-dollar global investment in Purolite sites by Ecolab.

The Customer Experience Center advances Purolite’s sustainability goals by utilizing modular construction methods to help reduce environmental impact with the aim of harnessing energy through natural recovery.

The installation of solar powered panels and ground pumps support plans to run the center at net-zero energy. In addition, Purolite has invested in additional electric vehicles and charge points across the site for staff and visitors.

His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Mid Glamorgan and Deputy Mayor Wendy Lewis of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council were among those marking the milestone at the center alongside Gergely Sved, executive vice president and group president of Ecolab Life Sciences and Healthcare, Hayley Crowe, senior vice president and general manager of Purolite, and Chris Major, general manager for Purolite Bioprocessing.

The event included a site capabilities tour, an official plaque unveiling of Purolite’s Customer Experience Center and acceptance of the Queens Award for International Trade, presented by the Lord Lieutenant.

“Purolite’s Llantrisant facility expansion not only shows a commitment to supporting its bioprocessing customers, but also highlights the company’s commitment to the Wales economic landscape,” said Mick Antoniw MS, local Member of the Senedd for Pontypridd, Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution. “As the local Member of Senedd I am delighted that Purolite is investing in its business, in our community, which enables global customers to develop life-saving medications that treat medical conditions from cancer to rheumatoid arthritis.”

According to Crowe, “The opening of our new Customer Experience Center is another celebratory moment for the Purolite team here in Wales. Our site-wide facilities expansion is strategically designed to help accelerate Purolite’s ability to provide customers throughout the world with high quality resin products and short lead times, enabling our customers to deliver life-saving drugs faster. We look forward to welcoming our customers to the center to build and strengthen existing relationships with them. I have no doubt that our team will continue to achieve great things here.”

Chris Major added that investment in people talent is one of the key components to help meet customer needs and grow the Purolite business. “We have ambitious plans in South Wales and now, more than ever, we are focused on supporting Wales’ extensive commercial potential, both through attracting external investment to the area and supporting our employees in their career and skills development,” he said. “As we significantly increase our current processing production output, we are turning that into further investment for unlocking key talent available in Wales. In fact, by the end of 2022, we expect to have increased our local employee population by over 55%.”

The new center is running in parallel to expansions at Purolite’s U.S. facility in King of Prussia, PA, as well as advancements to the company’s manufacturing plants in China and Romania to help meet global demand.

Purolite’s King of Prussia facility is currently gearing up for agarose resin production, which will position Purolite as the first resin supplier with dual-continent production capabilities, providing leading security of supply to biopharmaceutical customers and CMOs globally.