Gerresheimer AG is to build a new plant in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia.

“As part of our growth strategy, we require additional manufacturing capacity and are expanding our European production network. We will build a new plant in Skopje to produce plastic systems for both the pharmaceutical industry and the medical technology sector as well as prefillable syringes. North Macedonia is an ideal location for expanding our production. The country offers good infrastructure, cost structures, trained personnel and excellent support from the authorities,” said Dietmar Siemssen, Chief Executive Officer of Gerresheimer AG.

Gerresheimer is investing a mid-double-digit million Euro figure in the new plant in the North Macedonian capital of Skopje, an amount that is already included in the company’s medium-term investment plans. Construction is beginning in the first half of 2019, with completion scheduled for the first half of 2020. It is expected that start of production will take place in the second half of 2020.

The plant will initially manufacture medical plastic systems prior to adding prefillable glass syringes lines following a further expansion phase. Up to 400 jobs may be created in the medium term. The plant will belong to the Plastics & Devices Division where it will fall under the Medical Systems Business Unit.

Construction work, staff training and production ramp-up will be closely supervised and supported by the Gerresheimer competence center in Wackersdorf, Germany, together with European sister factories in Pfreimd and Buende in Germany as well as Horsovsky Tyn in the Czech Republic. Gerresheimer has production facilities in North and South America as well as in Europe and Asia. The Skopje plant will be Gerresheimer’s first in South-Eastern Europe.