BGS Beta-Gamma-Service, a specialist for more than 40 years in the use of beta and gamma rays for radiation sterilisation for medical devices, pharmaceutical packaging, and biotechnology products, will open its first facility in the United States next year.
BGS US
The new 100,000-square-foot plant will offer fully automated E-Beam sterilisation and is in Imperial, PA, near the Pittsburgh International Airport. The facility is expected to be operational in mid-2025 and will operate as BGS US with Leonard Zuba, formerly vice president of sales at Raumedic, as its general manager.
“We are delighted that our initial expansion outside of Germany will be in Pittsburgh,” said Zuba. “Pittsburgh’s proximity to key markets in the Northeast, Midwest, and South makes it an excellent location for our facility. Interest from customers and prospects regarding our ability to support them in the US convinced us that there is a growing demand for E-Beam technology in the United States. Government officials have been extremely helpful with accelerating the approval process for obtaining various permits.” Bert Whitt, who has extensive experience in the radiation sterilisation of medical devices, will serve as operations manager.
The motivation for expansion
For decades, ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilisation has been the preferred sterilisation method for medical devices in the US. In recent years, growing awareness of the environmental hazards associated with the technology, along with an increasingly difficult-to-obtain supply of Cobalt-60, have threatened domestic sterilisation capacity. Viable alternatives such as E-Beam sterilisation are not as widespread in the US.
“The availability of sterilisation capacity poses major challenges for US manufacturers of medical devices, and pharmaceutical and biotechnology products,” said Dr. Andreas Ostrowicki, managing director of BGS Beta-Gamma-Service. “As a result, supply chain bottlenecks occur frequently. With our new plant in Pittsburgh, we are helping to meet the need for sterilisation services with our ionising radiation technology.” The new facility will be equipped with highly efficient electron accelerator technology and fully automated product handling systems.
The techniques that BGS US will use in Pittsburgh have proven to be effective at the company’s three sites in Germany. The company is one of the pioneers in the use of E-Beam technology and operated one of the first facilities of its kind. Earlier this year, the company expanded its logistics space at its original location in Wiehl, Germany, near Cologne.