CAN DO held a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony for Amapharm’s newly constructed 43,500-square-foot facility, located within the CAN DO Corporate Center in Drums, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, May 16th.
Amapharm is a German-owned nutraceutical company founded in 1977 by Wolfgang Marks, known as the “father of the gummy vitamin”. In the early 90s, the company launched the first vitamin gummy for children and later introduced the world’s first vitaminized jellybeans, toffees, and fruit bites. While Amapharm currently distributes products in over 90 countries, this new facility in the CAN DO Corporate Center will be their first time manufacturing products in the U.S.
This monumental build also marks CAN DO’s first build-to-suit facility. CAN DO constructed the state-of-the-art facility, located at 128 Corporate Drive in Drums, to meet the specific needs of Amapharm’s manufacturing process. With an aggressive timeline in place, CAN DO proposed to the nutraceutical manufacturer a build-to-suit option on a site with existing land development approvals. After 17 months, construction was completed on the pharmaceutical manufacturing facility. The 43,500-square-foot facility consists of 5,000 square feet of office, 10,800 square feet of production space, and 23,000 square feet of warehouse capabilities, fully outfitted with a pharmaceutical-grade HVAC system.
Amapharm’s decision to establish its first U.S.-based manufacturing facility in the Greater Hazleton Area is a big win for the community. The project is expected to create between 50 and 100 new jobs by 2025 and was financed, in part, through a low-interest Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) loan. In addition to warehouse, maintenance, and production workers, Amapharm’s new facility has also opened up positions in the human resources, accounting, and supply chain fields, among others.
With the help of other local businesses, CAN DO welcomed their newest tenants to the area with a formal ribbon cutting ceremony. In German tradition, a gift of bread and salt is given with many blessings and wishes of prosperity and good fortune. In honor of the new international relationship forged with this new facility, CAN DO presented the Marks family with a custom loaf of bread made by Sugar and Loaf Bakery, a local bakery in Drums, Pennsylvania. CAN DO also presented a custom sign made by Creative Interior Imagery in West Pittston that depicts a visual representation of the project timeline, from inception to completion.
CAN DO also welcomed Amapharm and the Marks family to the community with some local flavor. Amapharm’s new neighbor, Best Cigar Pub, catered the event, while the Hazleton Kitchen Incubator’s newest client, Little Treats and Cakes by Janna, made custom desserts for the occasion.
