Gerresheimer is expanding its capacities for glass vials at the Wertheim site and at two further sites in China and the USA. The company is investing in production in Wertheim to increase vials capacity by 150 million vials per year and plans to create 70 new jobs for this purpose. The Federal Ministry of Economy and Climate Action supports the investment within the framework of federal funding of production equipment of borosilicate tubular glass and glass vials for use in vaccine production.
Gerresheimer is already one of the world's largest manufacturers of the products required for vaccination campaigns, among other things. Until now, the company has primarily served the European demand for vials from its plants in Boleslawiec (Poland) and Chalon (France). The investment will make the Wertheim plant one of the leading vial production sites in Europe.
Dietmar Siemssen, CEO of Gerresheimer AG, emphas the importance of the production expansion: "We already produce almost a third of the world's glass vials worldwide. With the expansion of our global capacities we are consistently implementing our growth strategy. By the end of 2022, we will be the world's leading producer of glass vials and manufacture the highest-quality and most innovative products."
The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action is supporting the investment in Wertheim. By expanding its production capacity in Wertheim, Gerresheimer is making an important contribution to improving the supply of glass vials to European vaccine manufacturers, among other things. The technology used in Wertheim enables vials to be produced in GX-Elite quality. With their outstanding cosmetic and dimensional properties, vials made of this glass lead to significantly better results in the filling of vaccines by Gerresheimer's customers. They also feature increased strength compared to standard vials. Gerresheimer has significantly increased its production capacities for vials. Compared to the level before the pandemic, they are now almost 50 percent higher. As a supplier of critical healthcare infrastructure, the company is a reliable partner for the pharma and biotech industry as well as for national and international governments. In the long term, Gerresheimer's management expects an increasing demand for drugs which have to be injected - and therefore a higher demand for vials. The global pandemic has highlighted the importance of a reliable and high-quality supply of injection solutions.
