How is production organized in Uruguay?
We have two sites 4 km apart. The first, at Millan, manufactures viral and bacterial antigens that go into vaccine composition. The second, known as Instrucciones, has just been opened. It's responsible or production of pharmaceutical forms as well as for the packaging of vaccines and pharmaceutical products, primarily for ruminants. It's located in an industrial zone at Montevideo, and includes a building dating from the 1950s which has been renovated for logistics and purchasing use, plus an entirely new section for production.

Why was this new site necessary?
There are two reasons. First of all it meant that Virbac Uruguay could increase its production capacity for vaccines, pharmaceutical products and other injectables. The objective was to meet the expectations for business in the Latin America area. The second objective was to establish a site with GMP accreditation, in order to be able to supply both regional and international markets.

What does that involve?
Quality considerations have been at the heart of the decisions taken relating to this new site. One of the key principles involves ensuring very clear separation of human activity flows from those of raw materials, in order to prevent cross-contamination. All equipment has, in addition, come under the protocol in order to ensure the very highest levels of quality in the production processes.

Are there other specific features?
Yes. The facility also has equipment which meets the highest international quality standards: ventilation and air-handling, an exclusive water distribution system and an ultra-modern pure steam generator. The building has also been designed to ensure that 100% of effluents generated by production are treated, guaranteeing that the environment is protected. Finally, throughout the facility there's an automated production control and monitoring system which records certain GMP parameters, as the air system, temperature, humidity, equipment in use, among others.

What were the major steps in the project?
In October 2012 we took the decision to purchase a 22,000 m² site, before setting up a cross-functional project team led by the South America industrial director. The aim was to define the technical characteristics of the new site, whilst taking both the subsidiary's needs and those related to the company's strategy into consideration. The work began in the first half of 2013 and lasted 30 months. Today quality is something that's largely taken for granted, as a result of the permanent involvement of local Industrial Operations and Quality Assurance functions.

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