DEVENS, MASS. — Nypro Healthcare's newest medical device manufacturing facility offers 200,000 square feet of carefully configured Class 8 clean room molding and assembly areas, a metrology lab, digitalized machine shop and client friendly work areas.
“I think this is representative of where we wanted to go — with all the latest automation,” said Courtney Ryan, senior vice president of Jabil Circuit Inc. and CEO of Nypro Inc.
The company held an open house and reception Sept. 25 for its customers, guests and employees. Overall, the event drew nearly 1,000 people, as buses were provided for workers to make the 15-mile or so ride.
“Nypro is the future of Jabil — Nypro focuses on some attractive industries that offer tremendous opportunities,” Ryan said.
He said that since Jabil's acquisition of Nypro in July 2013, the new company has been growing. The revamped Nypro Healthcare unit gained two Jabil facilities and has grown from $1.1 billion to about $2 billion in sales.
The company has made big investments in its facilities in Ireland, Mexico, China, Mebane, N.C., and
Clinton, Mass.
“We ran out of room in Clinton,” noted John Witkowski, Nypro Healthcare general manager.
Witkowski characterized the Devens facility as an extension of Clinton, boosting its Massachusetts clean room space by 60 percent. Both officials noted that the new space is intended to foster growth from existing customers, but say that there is room for others. The new facility will employ 50 at the start and will add another 50 in the coming years.
The 60,000-square-foot injection molding area will have four machines at the start, but it has room for about 60 machines. Production is due to start in late October or early November.
The company leased more than half of a building that was built a few years ago for Evergreen Solar Inc.
“It actually had too much infrastructure. It was made as a solar plant, not a medical facility. We had to make it medical grade,” Witkowski said.
They benefited from the fact that it had the power and high pressure gas lines. But Nypro did install overhead cranes, a Pevco system to allow connection to the quality inspection lab and other amenities for its specialized uses. They also reused most of materials that they removed.
Ryan said the continued expansion shows the Jabil-Nypro combination is working.
“It's been really great. There are so many opportunities for us to get distracted. It was probably the most complex thing either company has ever done and it was done without effecting quality and we kept the customers happy,” he said.