Cherwell Expands Clean Room Facilities

Cherwell Laboratories, specialists in environmental monitoring and the validation of sterilisation processes for healthcare and pharmaceutical industry applications, has successfully completed the first phase of its clean room expansion supporting growing demand for its Redipor® Prepared Media.

The completed clean room will double the existing space from 440m2 to over 940m2. Phase I covers 270m2 with an inspection and packing room containing flow wrap machinery and an automatic labelling system. Associated support rooms, new gowning and office space have also been completed. Councillor Daniel Sames, Mayor of Bicester officially opened phase I of the clean room extension.

The completion of Phase II, scheduled for 2013, will see an increase in production volumes to over 6.5 million agar plates per year in order to serve the UK and export markets; it is estimated that 10-15 new employees will join the existing Cherwell team.

Andy Whittard, Managing Director at Cherwell Laboratories commented “The first phase of our clean room expansion has been a tremendous success, which would not have been possible without the effort and dedication of the whole Cherwell team especially over the past six months. The changes we have made reflect our commitment to providing customers with the highest standards of product quality.”

During the opening Philip Bond, Corporate Manager at Handelsbanken said "Cherwell Laboratories has continued to go from strength to strength over the last 7 years and we have been delighted to be involved with the funding of the new clean room, a superb facility which will allow the business to more than double capacity. It is particularly pleasing in these more challenging economic times to see one of the largest Bicester based manufacturing businesses, growing sales and employment and this is a tribute to the directors and all members of staff."