South Coast MP Shelley Hancock and parliamentary secretary for the Deputy Premier Bronnie Taylor MLC joined Nowchem managing director John Lamont to officially open the new facility on Wednesday.

Mr Lamont said the expansion, made possible by a $60,000 NSW Government grant, would allow his company to increase its capacity by 40 per cent.

“This is a brand new facility. A new pharmaceutical room that allows products to be filled independently of manufacturing in the room next door,” he said.

“It means we can manufacture in one room and fill in the other.

“Previously we were only able to do one of each operation at a time. Now we can do both independently and do more products.

“It means we can increase our capacity by over 40 per cent.”

Nowchem diversified from the industrial sector 15 years ago to become a pharmaceutical manufacturer.

Over that period the pharmaceutical business has grown by 20 per cent turnover and the organisation doubled in size.

At present the company is producing a range of pharmaceutical goods such as head lice products, high-level sterile enzymes for hospitals, hand soaps, sunscreens and alcohol gels.

“Therapeutic goods that mainly go into hospitals,” Mr Lamont said.

“The redevelopment will allow for continual production in this area and grow our capacity for increased contract production in the pharmaceutical and personal care sectors.

“The new capacity will also line up with many other local projects and sees great innovation and collaboration between University of Wollongong and other local organisations such as Venus Shell Systems.

“The ability to grow jobs in the high value, pharmaceutical sector is important for the South Coast region.”

Mr Lamont said the total cost of the site redevelopment was $450,000.

“Any financial assistance went a long way to ensuring we were able to construct the best facility for both employees and the business,” he said.

“This would not have been possible without the help of the NSW Government.”

He said the secret to the company’s success and staying in manufacturing was being able to adapt and innovate.

“The great thing about this business is we are constantly innovating with new products and new opportunities.” he said.

“At the moment we are working with a local seaweed producer, a really good innovation with Wollongong University and another local company, to actually bring seaweed based pharmaceutical products to the economy.

“There are great opportunities here in Australia but if they don’t have somewhere to capitalise and bring those products to market, they will go offshore and be manufactured  overseas.

“We want to see those high value and sophisticated jobs stay in Australian and most importantly stay here in the Shoalhaven.”

The expansion will provide an additional eight jobs for the South Coast region, boosting Nowchem workforce to more than 70.

The new jobs will include technical specialists, production roles and warehousing and logistics positions.

The project also created additional jobs during the construction phase, employing the services of local contractors and businesses such as Stormtech, Jamie Melange Building, R and M Plumbing, Climax Air Conditioning, IJED Electric and Data, and NAB Nowra.

Nowchem also manufactures a range of contracted and in-house branded chemical products for a number of sectors including automotive, food services, water care, heavy industry cleaning, personal care and building services cleaning.

“Nowchem is celebrating its 40th year of operation,” Mrs Hancock said.

“In 40 years the company has grown from a small family-owned business employing two people, to a diverse chemical manufacturing organisation employing over 70 people.

“I was pleased to secure $60,000 in funding from the NSW Government in 2015 through the Department of Industry’s Regional Industries Investment Fund, allowing Nowchem to accelerate their business growth, expand the manufacturing site and generate more employment opportunities for our region.”

She said Nowchem was a business committed to supporting the South Coast community by employing young professionals and people with disabilities, providing ongoing training of the workforce and giving back through its various sponsorships of local events and charities.

Mrs Taylor said the NSW Government proudly supports regional manufacturing businesses through grants and incentive schemes, including the Regional Industry Investment Fund.

“Companies such as Nowchem contribute to international export growth through greater capabilities in technology and innovation,” Mrs Taylor said.

“Nowchem continues to research into more advanced manufacturing opportunities for future investments into the company.

“The NSW Government is proud to support businesses such as Nowchem that add to the economic growth of regional NSW.”