BD (Becton Dickinson) recently announced it will invest $60 million in one of two manufacturing facilities it operates in Columbus to change production from glass syringes to plastic components. The investment includes construction of a 69,000 square-foot expansion to begin later this year with the manufacturing process transition to take place over a three-year period.
The company currently buys about 700 billion plastic parts a year, mostly from third-party suppliers. Once complete, the project will make the Columbus facility one of the most automated plastic molding plants in the world.
Bringing production in-house will also improve quality and reduce costs, according to Steve Sichak, Executive Vice President.
“We’ve had really good experiences over the years in Columbus,” said Sichak, “We expect Columbus to play an important role in our network for many years to come.”
The conversion is not expected to increase the company’s present workforce level of around 700. Instead, the company will spend approximately $7 million to retrain employees.
Governor Pete Ricketts has recognized BD as “… a great example of a company that understands the value of investing in its Nebraska workforce to support its global business.”
BD has been in Columbus since 1949. In addition to its two Columbus facilities, it operates plants in Broken Bow and Holdrege. The company announced a $100 million investment in Holdrege late last year.
BD is served electrically in Columbus by Loup Power District, a wholesale partner of NPPD.
Parts of the story courtesy Omaha World-Herald