AAIPharma Opens Technology Center

By Jeremy Summers, NCBiotech Writer

On Tuesday, AAIPharma services opened its new Technology Center in Wilmington, near the company’s headquarters.

The new 40,000 square foot facility is part of a $15 million capital expansion program.

The Technology Center features flexible work stations that will allow the company to meet the wide range of requirements that come from approximately 600 clients. Such requirements include analytical, microbiology and mass spectrometry analyses, and the new facility features some of the newest and most expensive laboratory equipment on the market.

A new innovation in place at the facility will be a paperless electronic laboratory notebook system, which will streamline the often complicated and confusing process of transferring documents between different labs. The new system increases the internal analytical process for the company and gives clients access to real-time data on their project, which few competitors offer.

AAIPharma currently employs about 600 people, with most of them in Wilmington. The company looks to add 40 to 50 new jobs by the end of the year as a result of this expansion.

“It’s a place we’ll be able to grow into over the next 20 or 30 years,” said CEO Patrick Walsh.

The technological innovations in place at the new site will put the company ahead of the competition, Walsh said, adding that many pharmaceutical companies base their testing facilities overseas for economic reasons. 

“Our American workforce is a real differentiator,” said Walsh. “And we’re betting heavily that our clients will recognize this.”

The company plans to finish the move into the new facility by the end of the quarter.

AAIPharma is a leading manufacturer of pharmaceutical and veterinary products. In January, the company acquired Celsis Analytical Services, which added 65,000 square feet of lab space in New Jersey and Missouri. Tuesday’s Technology Center opening is an integral part of the company’s plan for expansion.