Pfizer Inc. has broken ground for a $95-million consumer products production facility in Suzhou, China. The new site is near the company's existing Suzhou site and will help increase production capacity to meet growing demand for Pfizer Consumer Healthcare's brands in China and the Asia-Pacific region.

The new facility will primarily produce Caltrate dietary supplements and Centrum multivitamins, and in the future will support production of additional products. There are also plans to eventually house a research and development facility on the site to help support innovation in the region.

The site design is expected to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications and will incorporate the most advanced technologies to minimize energy and water consumption. For instance, to minimize energy consumption, the plant will be fitted with high-efficiency manufacturing equipment, LED, and solar-powered lighting with automatic controls. It will employ technologies to recycle waste heating and cooling and will make extensive use of natural lighting and shading. To conserve water, the plant will use high-efficiency equipment and fixtures, recycle treated wastewater for its cooling tower and for lavatories, and capture rain water for irrigation of its lawn and landscaping.

The Pfizer Suzhou facility began production in 1994, and since then has implemented a number of expansion projects to keep pace with double-digit growth in demand for Caltrate and Centrum. The existing Suzhou facility employs about 700 employees and produces Centrum multivitamins, Caltrate dietary supplements, Robitussin cough and cold products, antibiotics as well as other prescription and over-the-counter products. It supplies multiple countries in the Asia Pacific region, including China.

Pfizer employs approximately 10,000 colleagues in China, with approximately 1,400 working in Pfizer Consumer Healthcare. Currently, Pfizer operates in 300 cities throughout China, has three other production facilities in the country in addition to its operations in Suzhou, and operates two research and development centers in China.

Source: Pfizer