PBN Manufacturing Awards 2021
Overall Excellence at an Enterprise Manufacturer: Amgen Rhode Island
Amgen Inc. develops medications for oncology/hematology, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, bone health, nephrology and neuroscience conditions for which treatment options are often limited.
The company has invested more than $1.5 billion in its 75-acre Amgen Rhode Island complex in West Greenwich, including just over $200 million in its next-generation biomanufacturing plant. The company, which did not disclose Amgen Rhode Island financials, reported $23.4 billion in total revenue, $22.1 billion in sales and $4.1 billion in research and development investments for Amgen worldwide in 2019.
The West Greenwich plant was completed in 2020 and houses one of the world’s largest mammalian protein manufacturing facilities. Rhode Island Site Vice President of Operations Brian Britson said West Greenwich was chosen as the location because Amgen Rhode Island has a “proven track record for innovation and operational excellence, a robust infrastructure due to strategic investments, a highly talented staff and robust recruiting base, and strong partnerships with the state of Rhode Island and many local educational institutions.”
Amgen, whose corporate headquarters is in Thousand Oaks, Calif., hopes to begin producing drugs in the new plant for human consumption by early 2022, assuming it receives full licensure and approvals from the Food and Drug Administration. In the interim, engineering runs are underway to ensure strict quality control.
“One year into COVID, we’ve learned to adjust as we go. [With COVID-19], there are not a lot of [options for] long-term planning,” said Plant Manager Peter Rodriguez.
During the pandemic, Amgen Rhode Island welcomed 107 new employees, representing a 13% increase in the number of workers over 2019, and achieved process efficiencies that led to 13,000 hours of found time. With some employees working remotely, others working on-site and still others splitting their work locales, the company saw a 50% reduction in staff injuries, a 20% reduction in contractor injuries and had no cases of on-site COVID-19 transmission. The company also created an on-site training center where employees can practice using materials, equipment and instruments used in production.
Amgen Rhode Island has a strong focus on workforce development, in which 50% of its 903 employees have tenure of 15 years or more. Committed to recruit, hire and retain a diverse talent pool, the company has developed partnerships with local high schools and higher education institutions to ensure appropriate certificates or degree programs and provide co-op and internship opportunities for prospective employees.
New hires receive orientation and an introduction to biopharmaceutical manufacturing training at the University of Rhode Island. They also participate in a two-week Foundational Skills for Manufacturing training program. Job rotation programs, tuition reimbursement, lean manufacturing and Sigma-Six training, mentorship and coaching are also offered to a wide array of employees.
“Innovation is part of our DNA,” Britson said, so the facility employed technology to effectively implement pandemic-driven changes.
Relocating from Singapore with his family to lead Amgen Rhode Island during the pandemic, Britson has yet to meet most of his senior leadership team in person. While the company anticipated bringing in subject matter experts to help support the startup of the new biomanufacturing plant, the pandemic required a new approach. “We leveraged technology to collaborate with experts [from Singapore, the site of Amgen’s first such plant]. That really accelerated the new plant’s startup success,” Britson said.
Through 2021, Amgen Rhode Island is continuing its COVID-19 accommodations, which include routine testing, mandatory masking and contact tracing systems for on-site employees, contractors and visitors to virtually assessing ergonomic conditions, providing free ergonomic equipment and scheduling free time to encourage exercise and breaks for employees working remotely.
Amgen Rhode Island has kept communication lines open. By incorporating other Amgen sites’ COVID-19-related knowledge, holding frequent virtual meetings with teams that include significant time for questions, answers and feedback, Britson said the company makes course corrections as needed and focuses on maintaining a safe environment and addressing employees’ well-being.
Amgen Rhode Island, Rodriguez said, “is value-centered, with a strong mission to serve patients with staff and teams that work cross-functionally together as one team.”
