In the Covid-19 pandemic, Gerresheimer focuses on business continuity, consumer demand, and smoother operations in the supply chain. Headquartered in Düsseldorf in Germany, the manufacturer of primary glass and plastic packaging products for medication and drug delivery kept its customers supplied globally.
“During the Covid-19 crisis, we understand that our pharmaceutical packaging and drug delivery devices are more important than ever. This responsibility makes us an important part of the critical infrastructure in each country we serve. Delivering on this commitment, we are doing everything to safeguard our production and hence keep customers supplied worldwide,” says Dietmar Siemssen, chief executive officer of Gerresheimer.
While many global manufacturers and suppliers faced disruptions in the supply chain, Gerresheimer guarantees business continuity during the pandemic. Siemssen explains, “We are not facing any shortage of raw materials, granulate, cullets (recycled or broken glass), or glass tubes in our operations because our key suppliers are also defined as essential manufacturers by the authorities. We work very closely with all our supply chain partners to ensure better and safer delivery of our products.”
Global multistage pandemic plan
To mitigate the risks of the Covid-19 pandemic, Gerresheimer established a global crisis-management committee at its headquarters. The crisis committee developed a multistage pandemic plan. The plan included hygiene regulations, additional precautionary measures, minimization of business travel, and restriction on the number of visitors to its plants. This plan was in effect at all plants from February.
Glass and plastic primary packaging production in India
Gerresheimer has been manufacturing glass and plastic containers for liquid and solid medicines following international standards at its ISO-certified plants in India. With three plants for producing glass (molded and tubular) and plastic pharmaceutical packaging, Gerresheimer’s base in the country is in Kosamba in Gujarat. With Triveni, Gerresheimer owns another large plant that produces plastic containers in Kundli in Haryana in North India. The company has head offices in Mumbai and New Delhi.
Jari Tevajarvi, vice president, Asia Plastic Packaging, states, “Along with a focus to serve high-quality products, we are also offering support to our customers in primary packaging markets. We are supporting and saving time for our customers in their compliance process in terms of global regulatory compliance. Various departments of our company are working closely with customers to become preferred partners for Indian and global pharma companies.”
Gerresheimer India offers glass packaging solutions for the most sensitive medicines. Khasim Saheb, managing director, Primary Packaging Glass India, and SEA, says, “We tailor-make products for the high-quality needs of our customers. By offering close partnerships, technical support, and comprehensive services, we bring out the most effective and best solutions for the growing demands of the Indian pharmaceutical industry. Gerresheimer uses state-of-the-art processes and control technologies, including clean-room systems, to ensure better hygiene, quality, and safety. The plants are certified to ISO 9001:2015, and ISO 15378:2017 standards. Recently the company obtained ISO 45001:2018 certification for its tubular manufacturing plant.”
In lockdown conditions, the manufacturing plants have been operating with clear social distancing measures. Sales and customer support personnel are working from home to support key customers. According to Saheb, with these combined efforts, Gerresheimer is successfully supplying products to its customers in India, South East Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, Europe, and US regions.
R&D and innovation
At Gerresheimer, innovation is a part of the company’s growth strategy to meet its customers’ increasingly stringent quality requirements. Siemssen explains, “Quality and innovation are essential for our customers as well as for us. We have developed highly sophisticated syringe systems that are especially well suited to new drugs produced using biotechnology. We offer cutting-edge syringe protection systems for doctors and health personnel safety, child-resistant closures for medication packaging, and much more. Our product portfolio is also impressive in terms of sustainability. We can produce primary packaging from bioplastics instead of conventional resin and use recycled plastic.”
