Manufacturer opens new facility to support pharma future
Herefordshire manufacturing company Ultrafilter Medical has launched a specialist facility to support the diversification of its Ross-on-Wye site.
The company has invested £2m in a new cleanroom and specialist machinery and training programmes at its Alton Road site, creating a UK manufacturing base for its liquid filtration range, which is the first choice of customers across the pharmaceutical, food and beverage processing industries.
The original Ultrafilter Medical factory was formally opened by Edward Harley, Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant, in September 2022 following an investment of £6.3m, with an initial focus on supplying medical-grade face masks during the pandemic.
Dustin Kronsbein, managing director of Ultrafilter, said: “This investment represents a new chapter in Ultrafilter’s history. We are proud of the work everyone undertook to support the pandemic effort, producing medical-grade facemasks for customers including the NHS, but it has always been part of our UK business plan to diversify our portfolio of products and broaden our revenue streams. With a short supply of liquid filtration products around the world, this is the perfect time to put that plan into action, providing a faster, more reliable supply for customers around the world and reducing reliance on overseas suppliers for our UK customer base.”
In a highly-regulated market, all products for the pharmaceutical industry must be manufactured in an ISO cleanroom environment by fully gowned staff, minimising the risk of contamination by dust, airborne microbes and aerosol particles. All items must also be fully traceable, with batch identification and serial numbers.
Kronsbein said: “Our products are critical to the smooth running of the food and beverage and pharmaceutical processing industries.
“My father and I had been working on this project for a number of months before his untimely death and I’m proud that our shared vision is now becoming reality. His commitment to innovation, excellence in delivery and customer service remain the focus of our business and we are committed to continuing and building on that legacy.”
The new facility offers more than 10,000 sq ft of production space with the capacity to manufacture over 180,000 filter elements per year.
As part of Ultrafilter’s investment in the site, it has also welcomed Dr Mozamal Nazir to the newly-created role of chief scientific officer. He will be responsible for developing its range of market-leading filters and building on our reputation for innovation and quality.
