Tech Group Inc. has begun restructuring its plants, each to be refocused on serving a single market segment.
In an interview at Medical Design & Manufacturing West in Anaheim, President Robert Hargesheimer said manufacturing of health-care products and medical and surgical devices is being consolidated at the company's plants in Tempe, Ariz.; Phoenix; Walker, Mich., and Cidra, Puerto Rico - all of which have clean rooms.
Consumer manufacturing is being consolidated at its personal-care and beverage plant in Williamsport, Pa., which does high-speed, cellular manufacturing on large presses ranging from 220-550 tons. That manufacturing also is going to its Frankfort, Ind., plant, which performs short and medium-sized product runs. He said Tech's plant in Guadalajara, Mexico, also would make some consumer products.
Drug-delivery products will be made at the company's Tempe, Ariz., campus and at its Montgomery, Pa., plant, Hergesheimer said. The Dublin, Ireland, plant will be a mixed-used facility for health-care and drug-delivery products.
``We hope to have the restructuring completed by year end,'' said Hergesheimer. ``We are moving products around - both within and between plants - to let each factory focus on a specific market. That is a key for efficiency, productivity and customer satisfaction.
``The types of quality systems are becoming much more specific within each market segment. If you don't have to serve other masters, you can become very efficient and very good at knowing how to serve your market.''
As previously announced, the restructuring will shrink Tech's workforce from 2,000 to around 1,750 and it will consolidate tooling at its customer/engineer center in Scottsdale, Ariz., where the company is based.
He added that he expected the closing of Tech's tooling operation in Erie, Pa., to be completed in the first half of the year.
Hargesheimer said the company's Tempe facility is not currently being used, but lends itself best to device manufacturing. That plant had made the discontinued Exubera dry-powder insulin product for Pfizer Inc. It has a Class 100,000 molding and assembly clean room and 15 Netstal presses.
Tech Group, a leader in injectable medical devices for drug-delivery systems, is part of West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. of Lionville, Pa.