A Swiss packaging company expects to begin production at its first U.S. site early next year.
The $30.8 million Wilson, N.C., plant will initially produce two small-diameter tubes, Hoffmann Neopac AG said.
Both products — a tamper-evident nozzle tube and the Twist'n'use tube — will utilize the company's patented Polyfoil blend of materials.
Standard Polyfoil tubes use a combination of polyethylene and aluminum, and tubes requiring sterilization use a polypropylene and aluminum combination. The multilayer tubes have an integrated aluminum barrier, according to the company.
Polyfoil tubes extend shelf life compared to products sold in monolayer PE or PP packaging, the company said.
The new 37,000-square-foot facility initially will have a high-speed tube line with the capacity to produce 80 million units per year. The plant is scheduled to open in the spring, and will include a clean room and enough space for up to four production lines.
Earlier information from the North Carolina governor's office indicated the project will create up to 44 new jobs.
The company looked for two years before deciding on Wilson for the new location.
The company received a $300,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund, which looks to create economic growth and jobs, to help with the project.
Neopac's tamper-evident nozzle tube has a wall thickness of just 0.3 millimeters and can be used for topical disinfectant solutions, eye ointments,creams and gels. The Twist'n'use tube is described as a "small-volume single-dose solution" that can be used "across the pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors," the company said.
"The new manufacturing facility represents Neopac's expanding presence in the United States and promises continued growth," said Martina Christiansen, head of sales and marketing pharma for Hoffmann Neopac, in a statement.
The company, based in Thun, Switzerland, declined an interview request seeking more details.