PFIZER INVESTS IN ITS’ MONTREAL MANUFACTURING FACILITY TO SUPPORT CONSUMER HEALTHCARE BUSINESS

Pfizer Canada today announced a major investment in its’  Pfizer Global Supply (PGS) Montreal manufacturing facility, representing a financial commitment of $31.7 million to upgrade technology and increase capacity to accommodate growth from new export mandates.

The project was facilitated by a contribution of $2.67 million from Investissement Québec, whose mission is to foster investment in and economic development within the province of Québec. Of the total $31.7-million investment, half of the funds were put towards purchasing new state-of-the-art equipment, while other investment funds were used to renovate the existing facilities to double its annual manufacturing capacity.  The completion of the project allows the PGS Montreal site the ability to produce more than 4.4 billion tablets of multivitamins each year, enough to fill seven Olympic-sized pools.

The new equipment and facilities include a high-speed automated bottle packaging line, one additional compression machine, two additional blenders and coating machines, two new dispensing rooms and additional storage space.

 “This new investment illustrates Pfizer’s continued commitment to the province of Québec.  It is  a tribute to the success of our colleagues at the Montreal manufacturing facility who meet the high standards of quality and efficiency that allow the site to win and maintain global manufacturing mandates,” said John Helou, President of Pfizer Canada. “The destination of pharmaceutical investments depends on multiple factors and a world-class facility with a highly-skilled work-force is certainly a strong argument in favour of Montreal.”

“This facility has been an important part of the commercial and industrial community of St. Laurent for almost 70 years,” said Alan DeSousa, Mayor of the Borough of St. Laurent and Vice-President of the City of Montreal Executive Committee. “We are very pleased that this important investment has been made, adding to its capacity and its ability to contribute to our local economy.”

“The Montreal facility is an important site for PGS to manufacture consumer healthcare products, such as Centrum® multivitamins and Advil® pain relief products for export around the world,” said Annie Sébastien, Vice-President of Operations and director of the plant. “Over the years, we have demonstrated leadership, innovation and efficiency in our processes to remain competitive on a global scale and within Pfizer’s worldwide network of manufacturing sites.”

Pfizer’s Montreal manufacturing facility

The PGS Montreal facility is one of the largest in Pfizer’s manufacturing network, employing more than 800 colleagues. Located in the St. Laurent borough of Montreal, it manufactures more than 500 formats of well-known consumer healthcare brands, coordinates the production and export of packages in some 20 languages to more than 90 countries around the world, generating more than $100 million in exports annually. Among the brands produced at the Montreal facility are Centrum® and Caltrate® Multivitamins, analgesics Advil® and Robax®, cough and cold medicines Robitussin®, Dimetapp® and Dristan®, as well as Preparation H® and the prescription cream Premarin®.

The original Montreal manufacturing facility was built in 1944 and acquired by Pfizer with its acquisition of Wyeth in 2009. Pfizer’s Canadian headquarters have been located in Montreal and in Kirkland, Québec, since 1953. In Canada Pfizer employs 2,700 colleagues, 1,800 of which are located in the province of Québec.

About Pfizer Canada

Pfizer Canada Inc. is the Canadian operation of Pfizer Inc., one of the world's leading biopharmaceutical companies.  The company is one of the largest contributors to health research in Canada.  Our diversified health care portfolio includes human and animal biologic and small molecule medicines and vaccines, as well as many of the world’s best-known consumer products.  To learn more about Pfizer in Canada, visit www.pfizer.ca. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Pfizer.Canada.


For more information, please contact:                 
Julie-Catherine Racine
Pfizer Canada Media Line
Telephone: 1-866-973-4937