The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Hundreds of staff join test kit firm
Hundreds of jobs are being created at the Perth manufacturing facility of Thermo Fisher Scientific.
The US group’s base in the city will aid in the global fight against Covid19 by significantly boosting its production of testing products.
The site is set to be operating at full capacity by the end of March.
Construction of a new factory is scheduled to be completed in the middle of this year.
However, last week it was reported that crews had to down tools after a surge in coronavirus cases.
The number of staff who have tested positive at Auld Bond Road facility has more than trebled, from six to 22 in just under a week.
The medical firm expects to create a total of 400 new full-time jobs by the end of March.
To date, more than 300 positions have been filled, and the recruitment for the remaining manufacturing roles is under way.
Thermo Fisher Scientific says this represents a transformational development for the site, which previously employed 115 people.
Positions being created range from laboratory technicians to distribution operatives, and have attracted employees from the local community and the surrounding areas, including Dundee and Stirling.
Director of operations and Perth site leader Stewart Blair said: “We have been delighted with the progress made on site and look forward to reaching full capacity in March.
“This expansion is not only great news for the local economy, but it also allows Thermo Fisher to meet the urgent need for Covid-19 sample collection materials. We are proud to contribute to the fight against the pandemic.
“However, the decision to increase capacity on site was also made with the post-covid world in mind. This investment will allow Thermo Fisher to continue to support the scientific community in the future.”
The Perth site has been an important employer in the region for more than 30 years and was acquired by the US group in 2004.
In subsequent years, the manufacturing plant has specialised in the production of scientific testing products for clinical, pharmaceutical, veterinary and food industries.
Perth manufactures a range of prepared microbiological culture media in plated, bottled and tube formats.
These are used in clinical, pharmaceutical, and testing laboratories.
The site makes liquid transport tubes which are used for transport of Covid19 test swabs.
When operating at full capacity, Perth is expected to produce 10 million sample collection units every week.
The site has been fully operational during the Covid pandemic due to the essential nature of its work.
Mr Blair said that this was an example of the Thermo Fisher’s ability to deliver “scale-at-speed” in response to pressing challenges.
He added: “The business has identified an opportunity to deploy our expertise to support the vital drive for mass testing, and we look forward to delivering on this.
“This is an example of how we can be nimble, adapting our operations to respond to new demands.”
Thermo Fisher Scientific describes itself as the world leader in serving science, and it employs more than 75,000 people globally.
It is at the centre of the UK and global response to Covid-19, producing diagnostic tests, providing personal protective equipment and modifying production lines to create necessary materials such as components for ventilators and hand sanitiser.