Nypro May Fill Former Evergreen Space In Devens
Since news broke last week that Clinton-based precision-injection molding manufacturer Nypro is scouring Central Massachusetts for a new manufacturing site to accommodate new contracts for the production of medical devices, there’s been speculation about whether it might set up shop in space left vacant when Evergreen Solar shuttered its Devens plant in 2011.
Nypro, which was acquired earlier this year by Jabil Circuit of St. Petersburg, Fla., has made no confirmation, but spokesman Al Cotton said on Monday that the company expects to make an announcement later this week about where it will expand.
Nypro Search 'Limited'
“What we’ve been trying to do is to find a large, appropriate, modern manufacturing site close to us … and that kind of limits us,” Cotton said.
The new facility will share some resources with Nypro’s existing facility in Clinton, according to Cotton, which requires close proximity. Though he would not confirm which sites Nypro is eyeing, Cotton called the former Evergreen site on Barnum Road in Devens “a very good one.”
“We really can’t confirm on that until we have something totally signed and are able to announce it,” Cotton said.
Lowitt: Nypro Looking At Ex-Evergreen Space
Meanwhile, Peter Lowitt, director of the Devens Enterprise Commission, was hopeful that the Evergreen site will be a future home for Nypro. He said the commission has discussed the possibility of Nypro occupying half of the building, joining French multinational construction materials manufacturer Saint-Gobain, which expanded to Devens last year. Saint-Gobain now occupies 200,000 square feet at the former Evergreen site, according to Lowitt.
“The balance of the property is what we’ve been told has been of interest to Nypro and hopefully they will decide that it’s a good fit for them,” Lowitt said.
He noted that the building is supported by state-of-the-art infrastructure, which makes it attractive to potential manufacturing tenants. Devens also employs streamlined building permitting to make the area more attractive to business.
After Evergreen filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and liquidated its assets, Lowitt said the facility was purchased by Hackman Capital and Calare Properties. Devens officials crossed their fingers, hoping new manufacturers would move in and replace some of the roughly 800 jobs that were lost.
Saint-Gobain has added 200 jobs in Devens, according to Lowitt, and Nypro would add another 100. Though job losses won’t be eliminated, Nypro’s entrance into Devens would create high-tech manufacturing jobs that pay well, Lowitt said.
“After the recession, any well-paying job is welcome in the commonwealth,” Lowitt said.
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