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Open for Business – Millstone’s New Fall River, MA Facility Expansion

Millstone Medical Outsourcing is pleased to announce the completion of construction on its new Fall River, Massachusetts facility expansion.

The state-of-the-art building adds 60,000 square feet to Millstone’s Headquarter Campus, bringing the total to 120,000 square feet. Replacing an older, smaller building, the expansion increases the footprint dedicated to quality critical inspection and warehousing as well as adds expanded and upgraded office space and meeting rooms.

More space for a growing business

“This building prepares Millstone to meet the growth we know is coming,” CEO Karl Neuberger says, “Since our founding 20 years ago, Millstone has been a high-growth company. As we have grown, we’ve seen the need for added space to satisfy not only today’s market demands and administrative requirements but also what we anticipate over the next five to ten years.”

With significant increases in warehouse and inspection capacity, new office and cubicle space, additional conference rooms and more collaborative workspace, “this facility will allow us to better serve the needs of our customers while simultaneously creating a better workplace for our team.”

Meeting a business shift

Millstone’s continued growth was one influencing factor in the facility expansion. Another was the shift in business that leadership saw emerging in the market. New and existing customers are looking to Millstone for an end-to-end solution in its Tier 1 services.

“A change we have seen in the previous 24 months is that our clients are asking us to hold more product than we have previously or traditionally held,” Karl explains. “In our previous building, we were near capacity, which could have limited our ability to grow our Tier 1 service to OEMs.”

With Tier 1 service, Millstone assumes the role of managing the entire supply chain for a customer, from purchasing (and paying for) components from contract manufacturers to all invoicing, inspection, and assembly into finished goods. Tier 1 service offers customers several benefits. These include reduction in complexity as Millstone oversees the supplier management relationships and rhythm; mitigation of risk as Millstone inspects components; and access to more working capital. This last is possible as under a Tier 1 contract, Millstone bills the OEM client only once for end-to-end services, reducing multiple POs to a single PO and cutting overhead costs dramatically (read more about Tier 1 services and evaluate fit with this article).

“Our new facility allows us to meet a changing business need with augmented capacity,” Karl notes. “More and more OEMs are requesting Tier 1 service as they realize the very real benefits of a true end-to-end solution. With this additional capacity, we now have the ability to continue to grow with clients.”

Elevating the work environment

The new facility expansion also allows Millstone to provide a better work environment for its on-site team, from production floor personnel to administrative staff.

Upgrades include more space for offices and cubicles in the administrative areas and the addition of several very large, modernized conference rooms—a need discovered during the planning process. Additional collaborative space has been created for employees to encourage teamwork and provide space for meetings and discussions. Employees have been provided self-raising desks, so they have the option to sit or stand during the workday. Ample parking is now available, as well as charging stations for electric vehicles and bicycle racks for employees who want to bike to work. The entire facility, including the warehouse, is now air conditioned for climate control and comfort.

“Creating a better workplace was a priority for us through the facility expansion,” says Karl. “We’ve sought to design and realize a facility that fit people’s expectations for comfort and productivity.”

The facility expansion project broke ground in September 2019 and was completed in nine months. It has come at the right time, allowing Millstone to increase social distancing measures for the health and safety of employees in the world of COVID-19.

Powered by solar energy

The new facility is powered by a solar rooftop system and the electricity generated by the system will produce 100% of the energy needed for the facility.

Reflecting the Millstone standard

Over the last 20 years, Millstone has developed a reputation for high-quality service as the trusted partner of medical manufacturers worldwide. Karl stresses that this consideration was key during the planning and construction of the new facility. “The way the building was built, its appearance and utility, gives our presentation a welcome upgrade. We know it’s going to be a great space to host customers for on-site visits and meetings.”

About Millstone

At Millstone, we believe that quality drives patient success and that the expertise of a trusted outsourcing partner can help mitigate risk. That’s why we’ve perfected all the capabilities medical device manufacturers need to get to market. Today we offer post-manufacturing and aftermarket services to more than 50 customers, including some of the top 10 orthopedic companies in the world. We are constantly evolving our processes and services to help OEMs achieve sustainable success. We offer clean room packaging, medical device specific warehousing, finished goods distribution, loaner kit management, advanced inspection and reverse logistics services—all with an unparalleled focus on quality.

What could we help you do better? Learn more at https://millstonemedical.com.