Aesica, a global contract manufacturing organization, has won the European Outsourcing award for ‘best acquisition’ following the successful acquisition and integration of three different UCB sites—at Monheim and Zwickau, Germany, and Pianezza in, Italy, in 2011.

The acquisition enabled both companies to concentrate on their growth areas and included a strategic partnership guaranteeing a secure pipeline of work and job security for staff. In the year since the facilities were acquired by Aesica, the company has been able to increase productivity across all sites and has delivered significant growth with the addition of 12 new clients.

The acquisition of the UCB sites follows the integration of R5 Pharmaceuticals in 2010 and has enabled a transformational stage in the company’s development, with sales growing over 37% in the last two years, and turnover predicted to grow from $180 million (2011) to $270 million by the end of the year.

The success of these acquisitions has been due to the successful integration of new staff into the Aesica culture and the discipline in targeting sites that complement existing facilities and provide secure manufacturing contracts. A key feature of the integration program was the introduction of Aesica ambassadors across all three European sites that facilitated the transition process by identifying cultural gaps and opportunities where new business could be developed.

“This award is the culmination of the team’s hard work over the last few years in helping deliver on the company vision to be the number one supplier of APIs and formulated products to the pharmaceutical industry,” said Simon Clough, managing director of formulated products, Aesica, and a key figure in the successful integration process. “But it’s not simply a case of identifying sites and doubling your capacity. What has enabled the smooth transfer of capabilities has been the workshops, site visits and integration programs put in place to identify any issues and tackle sensitivities quickly and efficiently.”

Clough added, “Another landmark element of these deals was the strategic partnership entered into with UCB for guaranteed long-term supply agreements. This has provided UCB continuity of product and enabled Aesica to build up the sites’ capacity from a secure base. It has rightly been identified as a benchmark acquisition and we will look to use the same model and strategy in the next few years to continue our exponential growth stage.”