Medtech company Baxter International has closed its largest manufacturing facility due to the impact of flooding brought on by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.
The company’s North Cove facility in Marion, N.C. employs more than 2,500 people. The site primarily makes intravenous and peritoneal dialysis solutions. Baxter said it’s the largest manufacturer of these solutions in the United States.
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While North Cove is currently closed for production, the company said it is working with local, state and federal officials to assess the extent of the damage and implement a plan to bring the plant back online as quickly as possible.
“Our hearts and thoughts are with all those affected by Hurricane Helene,” said Baxter CEO José (Joe) E. Almeida. “The safety of our employees, their families, and the communities in which we operate remains our utmost concern, and we are committed to helping ensure reliable supply of products to patients. Remediation efforts are already underway, and we will spare no resource — human or financial — to resume production and help ensure patients and providers have the products they need.”
Ahead of the storm, Baxter implemented its hurricane preparedness plan, which included evacuation plans for colleagues, as well as proactively moving products to higher ground or secure storage where feasible. The heavy rain and storm surge triggered a levee breach, which led to water permeating the site. The bridges accessing the site have also been damaged.
Baxter is communicating with its customers about the actions the company is taking to minimize potential disruptions. These include actively managing inventory and implementing a protective allocation process by product line to help support supply continuity and equitable product distribution. The company will leverage Baxter’s global manufacturing network to help mitigate potential supply impact as it continues efforts to fully restore North Cove’s manufacturing operations.
The Baxter International Foundation has committed $1.5 million in donations to its humanitarian aid partners to help address recovery needs, including allocating additional funds to its Employee Disaster Relief Fund, and is matching employee donations $2:$1 to relief efforts. Baxter is working diligently with and is grateful for the strong support of regulatory agencies, including HHS (Department of Health and Human Services), FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), ASPR (Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response), FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), DHS (Department of Homeland Security), and local and state authorities, its partners on the ground, and the dedication and resilience of Baxter colleagues.
Baxter will continue to provide updates as additional information becomes available and aims to provide an update on estimated timing to resume production as soon as it is able. While the company is working expeditiously to restore its manufacturing operations and return to production, the disruption is anticipated to negatively impact the company’s financial results. Once the company can more fully assess the damage, it will be in a better position to estimate any expected impact and plans to provide an update in its third quarter earnings announcement.