Boehringer Ingelheim Chemicals, Inc., (BICI) will close its Petersburg, VA plant at the end of 2014 following a review of its current manufacturing capabilities and determining that it had excess capacity. The facility will continue to manufacture active ingredients for the pharma industry through 2013 and phase out operations the following year. The closure will impact 240 employees. The company will work with customers to help ensure a smooth transition to new suppliers.
 
“This was a very difficult decision and one that we did not make until we had explored all of our options,” said Dr. Manfred Psiorz, president and chief executive officer of Boehringer Ingelheim Chemicals, Inc. “We wanted to give our employees as much notice as possible, so they have time to explore other employment opportunities.  At this moment, our primary goal is to support our employees. ”
 
“The pharmaceutical industry is going through dramatic changes and manufacturing needs are being impacted by that change,” said Dr. Psiorz. “Our employees did a fabulous job operating this plant, but this decision was driven by factors in the market that were beyond our control.”