A $13.2 million expansion was announced yesterday for CeramTec’s manufacturing facility on Highway 14, Laurens. CeramTec North America, a worldwide leader in advanced ceramics, said the expansion of the Laurens plant is expected to generate 40 new jobs.
The expansion includes construction of a clean room to manufacture tube core aerosol generators (TCAG), which will be used to deliver an antibiotic through inhalation for pneumonia patients.
Brent Pahach, president of CTNA, said “This is a significant business venture for CTNA, underscoring our commitment to growth and continuous drive for customer satisfaction and business diversification. The added sales will solidify an already expanding ceramic business for the Laurens facility. Additional resources will be added in the coming months to fulfill the new requirements.”
The multimillion-dollar manufacturing agreement covers a period of 10 years, which began in 2009 as a long-term development program with a major pharmaceutical company. The first of four product lines is expected to be completed with qualification samples being delivered in December 2014. The TCAG product line will utilize components manufactured in the company’s Lauf, Germany facility, making this a high-profile project for the CeramTec Group.
Jim Coleman, Chair of the Laurens County council and the Laurens County Development Corporation, said “CTNA has been a staple in Laurens County for many years, and we appreciate their continued commitment to our county. They are a great group of people to work with, and we always look forward to working with them on an exciting expansion project like this.” Coleman added “This expansion is another example of the great things going on in Laurens County.”