Pfizer has announced that it will buy back the historic, one-million-square-foot manufacturing facility in Rouses Point, New York (a former Wyeth facility). For the past several years, the site had been leased to contract manufacturer Akrimax, who was not able to bring in significant new business due to the current economic conditions and glut of contract manufacturing capacity.
Pfizer spokesman Chris Loder says that the company will look for a new buyer and, if one is not found, "exit the facility" by the end of 2013. Local public radio station WAMC has an excellent podcast on the decision, including a conversation with Loder and opinions from the local chamber of commerce president who admits the site is “massive and dated” and will be hard for Pfizer to move, despite its excellent track record and skilled workforce. The mayor of Rouses Point says the news could have been worse, and Pfizer's reacquisition at least offers some hope of resurrecting business at the plant.
For some historical perspective, here's a 2008 article on Akrimax in Rouses Point based on our discussions with then-enthusiastic executives.
