Rockland Immunochemicals Expands Laboratories to Keep Pace with Growth

28 May 2014
Lois Manton-O'Byrne, PhD
Executive Editor

Industry news

Rockland Immunochemicals, Inc. announces the expansion of its laboratories to address the increased demand for life science research tools. Recognizing the increased demand in its core business segments – antibody products and services – Rockland began planning for its new facility in 2012.

Leading architects and contractors in the biopharma industry in and around the Philadelphia area, were engaged to plan and to build a technology-friendly 60,000 square foot facility in Limerick, PA. The new location brings Rockland closer to some of its largest biopharma clients, while maintaining its local Pennsylvania roots. The laboratories allow Rockland to build a larger business that delivers value to clients, employees and community.

Importantly, the labs are designed with flexible space where Rockland and its collaborative partners can deliver an expansive selection of services that fulfill the strategic needs of today and the future at an unsurpassed level of quality. A substantial amount of space is reserved within the new facility for up and coming growth areas, including epigenetics and stem cells. As customers require more, Rockland can move quickly to satisfy those customer needs.

Rockland’s values center around the quality of every product. Each antibody goes through a rigorous quality control testing procedure before it leaves the facility. To sustain this fundamental ethic, sufficient space with precise design enables the Rockland Advantage of both manufacturing and service.

Designing the space has been an exciting process for Rockland’s team. “We looked at the space that tech companies like Google and Apple are building, and decided that we too wanted to create an open, inviting and fun environment where our employees and clients would feel comfortable and where the space itself promotes the exchange of ideas and encourages innovation.” Explains Chief Operating Officer, Richard Smith, “In addition to tripling our lab space, we have created an atmosphere where biotechnology, IT and e-commerce are unified and cross-communication between departments is welcomed.”

The global economy currently presents significant opportunities within the biopharma industry. The demand is outstanding for a company that can deliver high-quality reagents and services that support diagnostic & drug discovery research. Rockland’s new space will serve its customer needs for the foreseeable future and provides a cornerstone for future development. The space was specifically chosen in Limerick Township because its infrastructure supports Rockland and other synergistic biotech companies.

Rockland’s new facilities consist of clean rooms for cell culture, suites for molecular biology, larger lot capacity production capabilities and increased aseptic processing areas. The result builds on Rockland’s successful life science partnering strategy and moves it forward as an organization in a positive direction.

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Rockland Immunochemicals Expands Laboratories to Keep Pace with Growth