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LOGAN – Thousands of sterile containers that hold large amounts of different COVID-19 vaccines are being made at a growing company in Logan.
Thermo Fisher Scientific is so busy it is hiring hundreds of new staff to keep up. Many of the new workers are already working overtime.
"We knew pretty early on that this was a big deal and started hiring really quick," said site lead Dustin Warner. "We have fulfilled thousands of orders so far this year, related to COVID-19."
The company had already planned for a 20,000-square-foot expansion before it really knew anything about COVID-19.
"Shortly thereafter, the beginning of the year, we were introduced to COVID-19, and the products that we manufacture play a key part in the supply chain for the vaccines and therapeutics for COVID-19," said Warner.
He said the planned expansion suddenly pushed three months ahead of schedule because vaccine makers had already started letting them know what they'd need early this year.
"Thermo Fisher's mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. And never has there been a time where that mission has been more important than 2020," said Warner.
The company has already made more than 300 new hires and plans to hire another 250 people to make the bio containers that will store and transport the vaccines.
"So early on, beginning of the year, we started seeing the orders come through, very large orders. And so we've been ramping up and manufacturing all year," Warner added.
It's been a very busy 2020 with much more ahead in the coming year.
Warner said it's nice to know that they're helping in some way. "The importance that the workforce here feels in having an impact is something that we take really personal. It feels really good to be a part of this solution," he said.
Thermo Fisher plays other roles in fighting the virus including personal protection, testing and even the freezers that store some of the vaccines.
