News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Aphena Pharma Solutions is preparing for a summer grand opening for its new Chocolate Drive location.
Marketing Vice President Eric Allen said employees should begin moving into the facility in April.
“Our move in date is going to be sometime in the beginning of April for office staff,” Allen said. “We have already started running small production activities at the facility. Non-drug related all in the categories that we are allowed to run. The facility will be FDA registered sometime in the month of May, and that’s when we will start moving over most of our clients.”
Allen said two of the three Putnam Aphena locations will operate out of the facility. Allen said the company is working with a local group to sublease the leftover offices.
“It is up in the air,” Allen said. “We are working with a local group. I can’t mention who that is. About potentially subleasing this facility out after mid-next year. If that happens, then Aphena will move out of this facility and consolidate everything inside the new Chocolate Drive operation.”
Allen said the company is very please with how renovations of the old Russell Stover building have gone so far. About a half of a million dollars has been invested to renovate 500,000 square foot building.
“We are very ecstatic with how the facility is coming together,” Allen said. “It looks completely different. We will have a grand opening with the local Chamber of Commerce. We will have a ribbon cutting ceremony.”
The added space will provide future growth in biologic packaging, cold chain storage and 3PL distribution services. About 260 jobs are estimated to be created in total.
Aphena Pharma Solutions is a leading pharma service provider specializing in contract packaging and manufacturing for the pharmaceutical, over-the-counter and medical device industries. Headquartered in Cookeville since 2002, Aphena employs more than 400 people.
