(Image courtesy of Thermo Fisher)
Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO) announced today that it has opened its $40 million manufacturing facility in Lenexa, Kan.
The facility is dedicated to viral transport media (VTM) but will continue to expand to meet expected demand for COVID-19 testing, according to a news release.
In May, Thermo Fisher received a U.S. government contract to provide a significant quantity of highly specialized VTM for COVID-19 sample collection. The company said it ramped up production in Lenexa from 50,000 units per week to more than 8 million per week since the facility began production in early July.
Thermo Fisher said in the release that the new facility has created more than 300 new full-time jobs as it added 120,000 ft2 of manufacturing capacity.