Pioneer Doubles Greenville Facility

Pioneer Surgical Technology

Pioneer Surgical Technology has doubled the size of its Greenville biomanufacturing facility to accommodate growth of its biologic polymer products that are injected for orthopedic therapies.

The 20-year-old Marquette, Michigan-based international medical device firm bought out the former Encelle in Greenville in 2007. The facility now houses the primary manufacturing operations for Pioneer’s biologic products sold in the United States and Europe, including its flagship bone graft product, nanOss Bioactive, and the recently launched nanOss Bioactive 3D.

Encelle received funding support from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in 2004 to help the firm develop its technologies that have led to its buyout and subsequent expansion. Pioneer has subsequently participated in the Biotechnology Center’s Industrial Fellowship Program and supported its Centers of Innovation.

Pioneer’s takeover of additional space in its Greenville building has doubled its footprint there, to 14,500 square feet, mainly to accommodate more manufacturing capacity, though the Greenville facility also supports quality assurance and R&D.

The facility has 20 employees, three of whom were added in 2011. Pioneer expects to add two more in 2012 and five to 10 more by the end of 2015. Pioneer also has five employees in Raleigh.

“Since the creation of our biologics business unit in 2007, Pioneer has seen robust sales growth for our spine, orthopedic, and biologic products,” said Shane Ray, general manager of Biologics for the company.

“Expanding our biomanufacturing facility to increase our capacity will assist in our aggressive future growth plans within and outside the U.S.A. This expansion shows our commitment to the North Carolina area as well as our commitment to being a top-tier provider of surgical products for bone and soft tissue procedures.”

Pioneer has more than 130 U.S. and foreign patents, with numerous patents pending. The company has a comprehensive portfolio of orthopedic, spine and biologic systems.

Pioneer Surgical Technology has more than 260 employees worldwide, including several in  Austin, Texas, Woburn, Massachusetts and The Netherlands.