Sudapack breaks ground on major PharmaGuard expansion in Erolzheim

Phase one of the expansion will convert an existing hall into an ISO 7-certified cleanroom for GMP-compliant production

German packaging solutions company SÜDPACK has marked a major milestone with a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony signalling the start of an ambitious new construction project set to reshape both the company and the region.

Around 50 new positions will be added to operate the new facilities, with an additional 120 jobs expected by 2030 through further expansion, the company has said.

By the end of Q3 2027, state-of-the-art production facilities for PharmaGuard and a regranulation unit for processing production-related plastic waste will rise on the grounds of the SÜDPACK logistics center in Erolzheim.

The company’s blister concept for solid applications, based on a recyclable PP mono-material, has seen strong market demand since its launch, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional non-recyclable packaging.

Some of the attendees were Mayor Jochen Ackermann; Stefan Redle of Redle Architekten; Georg Grimbacher and Björn Glass of the construction firms Grimbacher and Glass; Denis Geggier, Site Manager at SÜDPACK Erolzheim; and the owners and managing directors of the SÜDPACK Group and SÜDPACK Medica, represented by Carolin Grimbacher, Johannes Remmele, Thorsten Seehars, Andreas Braun, Christoph Angstl, and Thomas Freis.

The groundbreaking marks the official start of construction and underscores a pivotal moment in the history of the family-owned company. With rising demand for PharmaGuard, existing production capacity at SÜDPACK’s Ochsenhausen site will soon be insufficient.

Phase one of the expansion will convert an existing hall into an ISO 7-certified cleanroom for GMP-compliant production, including a new extrusion line and a slitting machine. A new building extension will house technical infrastructure and the regranulation unit for production waste. Construction is expected to finish by June 2026, with equipment installation following and commissioning slated for Q3 2027.

Mayor Jochen Ackermann, who has actively supported the construction project from the outset, expressed his enthusiasm, stating: “SÜDPACK continues to demonstrate its strong commitment to Germany as a business location – even under challenging economic conditions. As a successful, forward-looking company and one of the region’s major employers, it is creating new jobs.”

For Johannes Remmele and Carolin Grimbacher, second-generation leaders of the family business founded in 1964, the project signals both growth and sustainability.

“Our forward-looking packaging concept already meets the future sustainability requirements of the global pharmaceutical industry – as well as those outlined in the PPWR. As a recyclable mono-material, it offers a significantly reduced climate impact (in CO2 equivalents) compared to laminates made from aluminum and PET.

"With innovations like this, we’re not only securing our future – we’re actively driving the green transformation and the circular economy within the plastics and packaging industry.”