Finzelberg invests in pharmaceutical extracts

At the Andernach location, the group of companies has invested six million euros in the expansion and modernisation of drying facilities. Finzelberg, a company with a long tradition, produces extracts for herbal pharmaceutical products and has been GMP-certified since 2004.

At the Andernach location, the group of companies has invested six million euros in the expansion and modernisation of drying facilities. Finzelberg, a company with a long tradition, produces extracts for herbal pharmaceutical products and has been GMP-certified since 2004.

Whether it’s ginseng, ginkgo or valerian. Herbal active substances from Finzelberg are sold all over the world in tinctures, tablets, capsules or pills. In order to most gently extract the natural healing powers from the leaves, flowers and roots, investments have been made in the group of companies` pharmaceutical location. In Andernach, the most modern European GMP-certified drying centre for pharmaceutical plant extracts is now starting up after just a 14-month construction period.

Albert Ferstl, one of the five Managing Directors of the MB-Holding at the Vestenbergsgreuth location and the Managing Director of Finzelberg festively opened the drying centre amid a circle of employees, customers, business partners and politicians on 11 November 2005 and thereby declared on behalf of the management a clear commitment to the business and industry location of Germany: "Germany is not a low-cost country, but we shall hold our ground internationally through our high productivity and outstanding product quality. With the new highly-modern drying facility, a conscious decision of the MB-Holding and the Wedel management family, has been made in Germany as a location for investment and industry."

With the latest state-of-the art drying technologies, Finzelberg has nearly doubled its capacity and the premises area at the Andernach location and can produce extracts of any pharmaceutical quality. On the market of plant extracts for herbal pharmaceutical remedies, Finzelberg, a company with a long tradition, is currently the number one in Germany and is also among the three largest companies in the industry worldwide.

Superlatives in drying technologies
The superlatives of the modern, expanded drying centre shall continue. It combines a variety of new special technologies at the location, with which extracts may be customized and dried and processed at the highest pharmaceutical level. Whether spray-belt dryer, vacuum-belt dryer and paddle-wheel dryer or spray tower dryer – the most modern drying technologies are now completely concentrated in one place, enabling the gap-free linking up of the individual technologies, from drying and grinding to compacting, from blending and bagging to shipping. At the same time, the drying centre is entirely tailored to the pharmaceutical GMP standards. Gentle and germfree, Finzelberg can process the extracts suitably for pharmaceuticals and string together the individual production steps seamlessly and flexibly. Finzelberg is the first producer of herbal active substances in Europe to have already had its “Good Manufacturing Practice” certified since July 2004.

Since 1989, Finzelberg, along with Martin Bauer, Plantextrakt, Europlant and PhytoLab has belonged to MB-Holding, under whose auspices the specialized suppliers in the area of herbal products have joined forces. In Vestenbergsgreuth, plant-based raw materials, herbal and fruit teas as well as extracts for the food and beverage industry are produced. Finzelberg represents in Andernach the pharmaceutical extracts business division, employing 240 workers and currently training 16 young people.

Another milestone is the takeover of the IGZ building (Innovations- und Gründerzentrum – Centre for Innovation and Founders) in the business location of Sinzig in the Ahrweiler district. From April 2006, Finzelberg will combine the Science, Sales and Laboratory departments in the modern innovation centre and thus additionally strengthen the Andernach production site.

Hence, Finzelberg shall also be well-positioned in the future and can competitively hold its ground internationally with higher product quality and productivity.