Press Release

"Taking Pride, Improving Lives" – Wyeth Shares Recipe for Success with Manufacturing Peers

19th September 2007

Celebrating over fifty years of manufacturing and distribution at their facility in Havant, Hampshire, Wyeth’s management team members invested a day to share the reasons for their success with other manufacturers from London and the South East.

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals packages and distributes advanced medicines and vaccines, and is investing more than US$50 million in a new state-of-the-art storage and distribution facility at their site in Havant, safeguarding over 400 jobs. This business decision swims against the tide of investment going to Eastern Europe and Asia.

“The investment has been made possible by a radical restructuring and refocusing of the plant’s core strengths, as well as the development of a dynamic and skilled workforce at the Havant facility” commented Dr Jim Neville, Site Director of the Wyeth site. “We are proud that the facility has become a centre of excellence for the packaging and supply of advanced medicines and vaccines, not only in the UK but worldwide”.

Wyeth managers shared their vision of ‘Taking Pride, Improving Lives’, and the company’s experience of managing a radical restructure, with a group of manufacturers as part of the Manufacturing Insights company visit programme. The programme is being delivered by the Manufacturing Advisory Service in London and the South East of England.

Wyeth UK’s manufacturing site is a world-class facility, so was an obvious choice to host for the best practice company visit programme. It is one of only 30 companies across London and the South East to be approved.

Wyeth provided in-depth presentations on the site strategy development process, organisational design and lean initiatives. Visitors were impressed by the level of detail, openness and honesty of the site’s management teams on not only what has worked, but also some of the challenges that they faced during the transition.

Jon Tucker, Director of Business Process Management & Strategy, said: “Wyeth is happy to demonstrate to visitors how we are working to implement and continually improve new processes. This method of sharing benefits both the host company as well as visitors who can learn from our experience.”

If you would like to attend future best practice visits, please call Manufacturing Insights on 023 9246 8978 or email info@manufacturinginsights.co.uk for more information.

If your company is a manufacturer in the South East, whatever the size of your company, and you are passionate about best practice and willing to share with others, please contact Manufacturing Insights to discuss the possibility of joining the programme as a host company.