A pharmaceutical company that makes generic medicine brands in Wilson will close, resulting in the loss of 213 jobs by Oct. 4, according to paperwork filed with the state. The first layoffs at the Sandoz facility will take place May 3. The closing of the facility was first publicly announced in 2022, although employees were first told in 2021, according to the company.
Sandoz was owned by pharmaceutical giant Novartis, which is based in Basel, Switzerland, when it was first announced the plant would be closing. The closing date was supposed to be in late 2023, but the company extended that date in order to transfer its products.
“We’ve been communicating and working with the employees for several years,” says Leslie Pott, vice president of corporate affairs based in the U.S. headquarters of Princeton, New Jersey. Pott says many employees “stuck with us until the end” even though they knew their jobs would end. Employees will be given “generous severance packages,” she says, although she declined to offer details.
“I think the employees felt generously cared for because they are genuinely cared for,” Pott says. The company employs more than 500 workers in the U.S., although most of its manufacturing takes place at sites in Europe, she says.
The Sandoz facility in Wilson manufactures tablets and capsules for a wide range of medicines to treat ailments including diabetes and ADHD. Medicines made in Wilson are sold in the U.S. and Canada. The company could not produce the volume of product at the Wilson plant to make it cost effective, says Pott. Manufacturing will be moved to sites in Europe, she says.
All workers have been notified of the changes. None of them are represented by a union, according to the company.
Novartis completed a 100% Sandoz spin-off in October 2023. Sandoz kept its headquarters in Basel. Sandoz is traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The company employs about 22,000 workers, and traces its heritage back to 1886. In 2022, Sandoz achieved sales of USD 9.1 billion and core EBITDA of USD 1.9 billion.