Carol Tousey is quality systems compliance auditor and consultant with Techceuticals. Techceuticals is a South Carolina-based company providing solid dosage manufacturing companies in the pharmaceutical and dietary supplement industries with sourcing and installation of new and used machinery, employee training on operation and cleaning of equipment used in processing, including manufacturing and packaging, as well as troubleshooting assistance. Training programs include solid dose formulation assistance, operator training, public training seminars, and hands-on training. GAP analysis, cGMP training and customized programs for small hands-on groups in addition to complete manufacturing process presentations are also offered.
I recently caught up with Carol at SupplySide West and spoke with her by phone during a trip to Denmark.
Health E-Insights: What experience makes you an expert for the services your company offers?
Ms. Tousey: My experience with a small OTC and dietary supplement contract manufacturing facility provided me with hands-on experience with the issues manufacturing faces each and every day, from dealing with the FDA directly, compliance issues, defects, deviations, and the challenges of making a quality product while keeping the company profitable. The past several years as a compliance auditor and consultant has provided me with vast experiences with companies all over the world. I have seen hundreds of factories, quality systems, and skills that have provided me with a unique perspective that I provide to our clients. Techceuticals offers dietary supplement manufacturers a full service resource that delivers practical solutions for all their manufacturing needs. We provide new and used equipment, training, regulatory compliance and quality system consulting and troubleshooting when things just are not going right. Our tech team takes the time to listen to each client and provide exactly what the client needs. We focus on the client, not a sale. Michael (Carol’s husband) has more than 30 years of manufacturing expertise starting with fabricating tooling for tablet presses, working in solid dose manufacturing, all types of equipment, training, and hands-on problem solving that have saved companies worldwide millions of dollars.
Health E-Insights: What are the challenges working with your husband?
Ms. Tousey: We travel a great deal and that presents challenges. We both provide training and consulting, but Michael is the man when it comes to assisting our clients with equipment and specific solid dose issues. I tackle the regulatory compliance and quality systems issues along with a few other business details. We each have our own specialties and also share the load when we have a lot going on at the same time. We have great communication and that is critical, but I have to say, we both rely on Julie Catron, our operations manager, to help keep everything going.
Health E-Insights: Has the recession changed how you do business?
Ms. Tousey: The recession has definitely changed how we do business. I don’t know many companies that haven’t felt the impact of the economy. If you want to stay in business, you must be prepared to change the way you do business. Techceuticals has been in business for more than 20 years and we have changed to keep up with the times. We have started using the Internet a great deal instead of the traditional way to get information out. We use Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail marketing to reach our clients instead of mailers or print ads. We also have a blog on our website to provide a forum for people to receive and exchange ideas and information. We are using online training and conference services to meet with clients instead of traveling for one. Two years ago, our company began offering web-based training to allow our clients to receive the highest quality training without having to leave their facilities and spend the money to travel. We have a collection of pre-recorded webinar training programs available on-demand, allowing people to access and view them at their convenience in the comfort of their office or home. We also sell new and used equipment to offer our clients the best equipment their budget can afford. We have also created a program called the ILS, which provides companies with cutting edge training technology so that training will be a value added process for any company looking to get the biggest bang for their buck.
Health E-Insights: What industry trends do you envision?
Ms. Tousey: One positive trend we see is that dietary supplement companies are growing, which is a wonderful thing to see. These companies are also trying to get the most out of every dollar they spend. The need for automated equipment, accuracy, precision and consistency are trends we are seeing from our clients. We see many companies looking to the used equipment market to get the best deal they possibly can. Techceuticals is able to meet those demands and deliver the best return on investment possible.
Health E-Insights: What things most upset you?
Ms. Tousey: I don’t get upset very often but I find the lack of resources available to the millions of struggling people and families very upsetting. The economy is very upsetting indeed. Another thing I find upsetting is seeing companies cut their training budgets to save money. Employees are the key ingredient in every product and poorly trained employees cost companies millions of dollars each year in defects, rejected product and recalls.