West Pharmaceutical Celebrates New North Carolina Plant 18 Months After Deadly Explosion

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Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). It is positive news out of Kinston, North Carolina, as West Pharmaceutical Services (NYSE: WST) (Lionville, Pennsylvania) celebrated the completion of the initial phases of its new plant. West was featured in more somber news last year, after a devastating explosion at its original plant in Kinston caused the death of six people and injured dozens. Survivors of the blast joined Donald Morel Jr., Chief Executive Officer of West, and local dignitaries at the emotional ribbon-cutting ceremony last week.

West first opened its Kinston plant in 1975 to manufacture rubber medical fittings, including tips for syringe plungers and fittings for intravenous lines. Located about six miles from the new facility, the original plant was roughly divided into two sections, compounding and molding. The explosion happened in the section that compounded synthetic rubber. While a final determination has yet to be made on what specifically caused the blast, Federal safety investigators have determined that it was fueled by dust accumulated in a false ceiling.

A celebration marking the beginning of construction of the new plant was held on July 1, 2003, one of many events and memorials West has held in the area since the blast. The 100,000 square foot building is located on 25 acres of land. After the accident, West attempted to find jobs for the Kinston employees at some of its other locations across the United States. Originally employing approximately 220, West now has over 150 back to work in the new plant, and expects to employ an estimated 210 when the plant is completed at the end of this year. The net loss of 10 or so jobs is attributed to the fact the new plant will be strictly a molding operation, with no compounding activities. While some of the compounding will be contracted out, the rest will be handled by other West plants, including the one located in Saint Petersburg, Florida.

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