90 Havant jobs as vaccine items producer moves in
Pharmaceutical and laboratory equipment supplier takes over two units
A MANUFACTURER that makes vital equipment used in the production of Covid vaccines is moving into a large industrial premises in Havant, creating 90 jobs.
Sartorius, an international pharmaceutical and laboratory equipment supplier, has taken over two units, totalling 58,000 sq ft, at a development called Velocity, in Stanbridge Road.
The firm, which has its head office in Germany and has a factory in Walton Road, Drayton, engineers and manufactures biopharmaceutical solutions and equipment to support the commercial scale manufacture of injectable treatments and medicines.
These include equipment to help control and purify key manufacturing steps for cancer treatments, blood plasma treatments and vaccines.
Spokesman Andre Hofmann said: ‘ We plan to employ approximately 90 people for our new site and also expect significant growth over the coming years.
‘We plan to start production in February 2021 and we have chosen Havant as we are relocating from our site in Portsmouth and we can transfer the current workforce easily.
‘Portsmouth has access to engineering skills that the business needs to develop, including biochemical, electrical and mechanical backgrounds
‘The facility in Havant gives the business the ability to grow and we have been able to develop the site to suit our business needs.’
Havant MP Alan Mak welcomed the news.
He said: ‘I’m delighted by this new investment into the Havant constituency bringing more jobs for local residents. This shows that despite the pandemic Havant is still seen as a great place to invest and do business.’
Velocity is a new development funded by LaSalle Investment Management in a joint venture with development manager Taurus Developments.There is one remaining empty 45,422 sq ft unit.
Edd Fitch, director at LaSalle Investment Management said: ‘Havant was identified as a strategic location for lack of modern available units and working collaboratively with Taurus Developments we have achieved a highly specified scheme.
‘We received a good level of interest, which reinforced the rationale for undertaking this project and has resulted in the letting of two of the units to an international organisation.’
CBRE and JLL are joint agents on the scheme.
Nick Tutton, from CBRE, said: ‘Velocity is one of the newest industrial/warehouse developments on the south coast.
‘Havant is a well-established employment location with a substantial employment pool, but there hasn’t been any new development for some time, particularly to the standard that Velocity has been finished to.
‘We are delighted to have let units 1 and 2 recently and this demonstrates the appeal of high quality buildings like Velocity, particularly to businesses that want a more sustainable building and improved working environment for their employees.’
To apply for a job at Sartorius go to sartorius.com