2 minute read - 1st October 2024
Europlaz invests to meet growing demand
Europlaz, a contract manufacturing specialist for the healthcare sector, has completed a three-year, £3.5m investment programme as it targets new opportunities.
The company, which has seen a 20 per cent year-on-year growth, recently spent £750,000 on the installation of three new all-electric injection moulding machines to cope with an increase in orders. This equipment complements additional investments in robotic technology, material dryers, a coordinate measuring machine and toolroom and cleanroom upgrades.
The Southminster-based, family-run business offers injection moulding, assembly, product validation and access to modern cleanrooms. Most of its work focuses on helping medical device and healthcare businesses commercialise new technology, with recent success stories featuring a home dialysis machine, a patient-friendly and easy-to-use breath operated inhaler and a bio-artificial liver. The company also manufactures its own product ranges, including neonatal flow sensors.
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Contract manufacturing specialist Europlaz has completed a three-year, £3.5m investment to meet growing demand / Picture: Europlaz
Katy O’Keeffe, marketing & strategy director at Europlaz, said: “There has been a massive surge in demand for our services, which support the development and commercialisation of devices for use in diagnostics, drug delivery, biotech and pharma. Our 40-year track record, has seen us build an impressive long-term client list, including the NHS, GE Healthcare, Johnson & Johnson and Medtronic. We know there is a massive opportunity and have responded by continuing to invest in the first eight months of 2024. This takes our total spend to £3.5m over the last three years and we’ve got more technology on order and on its way. This is the perfect time to press the ‘growth’ button.”
Rory O’Keeffe, commercial director at Europlaz, added: “Sales have increased by 20% to £12.5m for this financial year and we’ve got contracts in place to achieve over £14m by 2025. Investment has flowed into the latest equipment, and we have matched this with a major recruitment drive – taking on 25 new staff, with a good proportion of these in our industry-leading technical team. There are still positions available that we are looking to fill.”
Another area of interest for Europlaz is decarbonising the supply chain. This has seen it employ a full-time sustainability officer, who is responsible for improving the firm’s green credentials by putting in place new supplier environmental processes and exploring ways where it can reduce its own carbon footprint.
