06.01.03
Pharmachem Laboratories, Kearny, NJ, has acquired the Avoca Division of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The 172,000 square foot facility, located on 2400 acres in Merry Hill, NC, is the largest botanical extraction facility in North America, producing extracts for the fragrance, pharmaceutical and dietary supplement industries. Avoca, Inc., which will function as a subsidiary of Pharmachem, has a current extraction capacity of 90,000 tons per year, including a continuous-flow Crown extractor with a daily capacity of 5-10 tons. Pharmachem is planning a major expansion there for increased capacities and technologies. In addition, Avoca has its own internal quality control and research laboratories for process control and product development. The facility meets industry standards for current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPS). It features on-site storage of raw materials and a cGMP finished goods warehouse.