2 min read - 1 Oct, 2025
Croda invests £20m to expand Staffordshire production
Speciality chemicals company Croda International is continuing to invest in the evolving world of biopharmaceutical manufacturing, with the expansion of its Super Refined™ facility in Leek, Staffordshire.
This significant step forward supports the launch of Super Refined™ Poloxamer 188, a highly purified fast-dissolving granular excipient developed for critical bioprocessing applications, including shear-stress protection in cell culture and biopharmaceutical formulations.
Following a £20m investment, the expansion of its facility in Leek not only boosts Croda’s production capabilities but also demonstrates its commitment to investment in the local economy, with the creation of new roles in engineering, operations, quality control, and logistics.
Alongside this investment, Croda is also continuing to invest in the USA and Japan to expand production of its Super Refined™ range.
Croda has invested around £20m to expand production of biopharmaceutical ingredients at its Staffordshire site / Picture: Croda
Thomas Riermeier, president of life sciences at Croda, said: “With our Super Refined Poloxamer 188, our customers will benefit from enhanced performance in their cell culture media used in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. We’ve invested in an exciting new technology and remain committed to innovating together for growth with our customers and partners.”
Employing around 100 people, the Leek site specialises in the production of speciality lipids, high-purity vegetable and fish oils, and speciality esters used across the pharmaceutical, veterinary and personal care markets.
The expansion not only boosts Croda’s production capabilities, but has also created new roles in engineering, operations, quality control, and logistics / Picture: Croda
Jenny Smith, technical projects manager at Croda, added: “This project underscores our continued leadership in advancing biologics delivery. This is a clear demonstration of how our commercial and operational teams have worked together to commission the plant and subsequently launch the product, going from the ground up to validated production in 15 months.”
A UK government grant of £15.9m was awarded to Croda International in 2022 to increase the UK’s capacity to manufacture key vaccine ingredients.
