July 13, 2017By Alex Keown
DARMSTADT, Germany – Merck KgaA is consolidating its western European life science production network that will close four manufacturing sites in Germany
resulting in the layoff of about 200 employees
the Germany-based company has consolidated 18 manufacturing sites to drive efficiency
Now the company is continuing that trend with the consolidation of four sites in Germany
Merck said it intends to invest about $102 million (€90 million) in consolidating those sites as part of “continued efforts to drive operational excellence and improve efficiency of its life science business.” The funds will be invested to “develop a manual filling capability and increase capacity” at the facility in Schnelldorf
Merck said the funds will be used to further develop capabilities in at two German sites
Germany site will continue to operate as before
will be consolidated into a central distribution center in Schnelldorf
Those sites are used for the filling and distribution of non-regulated laboratory chemicals and reagents
Merck KGaA said it will relocate and shutter sites in Steinheim
Those sites are expected to begin ceasing operations between 2019 and 2022
“Centralizing filling of small quantities and their distribution will continue to increase our speed and responsiveness to customer requests
This is something that the acquired Sigma-Aldrich excelled in and we see positive impacts of this effort already in North America,” Udit Batra
chief executive officer of Merck KGaA’s life science business said in a statement
which gave the company 65 production facilities and 130 distribution centers around the world
The company said it will continue to evaluate its operations to “assure the right capacity levels to serve customer needs” and improve efficiencies
for its North American life sciences subsidiary
and shift employees from its existing site in nearby Billerica
which will include a customer collaboration laboratory
exploratory environment where the company’s scientists and engineers work together with customers to help solve their toughest life science challenges
has opened stations in Greifenberg (Landsberg am Lech/Bavaria)
further expanding its presence in Bavaria and Austria
These stations are in addition to existing ones in Bavaria: Garching-Hochbrück
FedEx has recruited more than 300 new team members in Germany and has more than doubled the number of its stations to almost 50
sorting and bundling shipments from regional customers at the stations before delivering them to recipients in Germany
The collection area for the station in Greifenberg includes Landsberg am Lech
“We want to support companies of all sizes in Bavaria and Austria in their efforts to take advantage of growth opportunities in global markets – whether elsewhere in Europe
customers can enjoy a direct connection with their international business partners and other new possibilities
we offer the fastest connection to the U.S.,” said Carl Graham
Operations at FedEx Express Central and Eastern Europe
Munich Airport plays a major role in the FedEx network
was established using the Boeing 777F (B777F) freight aircraft
the newest and largest aircraft in the FedEx fleet
The aircraft connects the Bavarian state capital to the FedEx World Hub in Memphis (USA) four times a week
overseas shipments originating in Munich had to first pass through hubs in Cologne/Bonn and Paris
FedEx offers a broad portfolio of domestic
intra-European and intercontinental shipping services to its customers
which range from private individuals to companies and official agencies
These services range from express shipping to deliveries within two to five days
FedEx transports documents and small packages in addition to heavy shipments weighing up to 1,000 kilograms
the company offers custom solutions for numerous industries such as health services
automotive and mechanical engineering and chemistry