The site in West Memphis, Arkansas, currently has 2.5 million cubic feet of gamma sterilization capacity but a $15m (€13.4m) expansion will – upon completion in 2017 - triple this and add around 20 new jobs.
“Sterigenics’ strong growth with both pharmaceutical and medical device customers is driving this expansion,” John Vita, a spokesman for the firm, told Outsourcing-Pharma.com.
“Terminal sterilization is the preferred methodology for the pharma sector, and in West Memphis we have a unique cold chain management programme that allows us to process various pharmaceutical products requiring tight temperature control.”
He added the firm is also seeing a growth in pharma demand for its SteriPro Labs services which offer microbiological and analytical testing and consultancy.
Illinois-headquartered Sterigenics International received a boost earlier this year through an investment from private equity firm Warburg Pincus. The firm acquired an undisclosed stake from owners Sterigenics, valuing the firm at a rumoured $2bn plus.
The investment also comes after the firm expanded through a series of acquisitions last year. In November, the company bought Italian gamma-ray sterilisation firm Gammarad for an undisclosed amount, following on from the takeover of Florida-based Food Technology Service and Canada’s Nordion.
Sterigenics has 15 gamma irradiation contract service facilities in North America and two in Europe.