The Plymouth plant is one of the premier evacuated tube and needle production facilities in the world, making BD Vacutainer blood collection products for markets across Europe and around the world.
BD celebrated 25 years of manufacturing excellence in its Plymouth plant on Saturday 15 July 2006.
BD's continued investment in quality and cutting-edge technologies has led to time and cost savings, personal security and world-class process controls, all of which are helping to deliver a unique level of service to customers.
The plant has adopted Six Sigma and Lean strategies and through a host of continuous improvement initiatives, steadfastly monitors and measures quality and productivity throughout the process.
"BD is committed to providing the highest quality service to its customers," said Greg Coulter, manufacturing director, Plymouth.
"This is reflected in our investment in new technology and processes and tools such as Six Sigma, one of the most rigorous quality procedures in manufacturing today.
"By its very nature, Six Sigma informs and enhances every aspect of a company's business and guarantees high level of service and performance for our customers.
"Six Sigma has led to reduced variability and better and more consistent performance," Coulter added.
"Anecdotally, we've been receiving tremendous feedback".
"Our customers have definitely noticed a difference".
One of the first tasks of Six Sigma improvement teams is the definition of customer requirements and the processes required to meet them.
Lean allows BD to maintain the highest standards and performance controls for products while reducing waste and inefficiency.
Implementation of SAP-based information systems has also allowed BD to better link together its businesses, regions, functions and processes.
John Hanson, executive vice president, said: "Our commitment to quality as a company permeates everything we do, from ensuring our staff are trained to provide the best service possible to ensuring our products are of the highest standard possible.
"For BD, striving for quality is an ongoing process, we do everything we can to provide the best products via the best service".
"The small degrees of improvement in quality matter just as much as the big ones".
In 1981, 90 employees manufactured four products at the Plymouth plant; today, 720 employees manufacture over 200 different products at the plant, including BD Vacutainer SST and PST blood collection tubes, as well as Vacutainer tubes for hematology, coagulation and special chemistries.
Additionally, the plant manufactures BD's Discovery Labware products such as flask dishes and other tools for use by medical researchers.
The evacuated tubes and needles produced in Plymouth help to improve the quality of lab results for patients in Europe, Japan and Latin America.
Plymouth manufactured products are also sold in eastern Europe and Africa, where they improve patient and healthcare worker outcomes by improving the safety of the blood collection process when compared to the less sophisticated methods that were used in the past.
BD says it is dedicated to improving people's health throughout the world.
BD is focused on improving drug therapy, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases, and advancing research and discovery of new drugs and vaccines.
The company's capabilities are instrumental in combating many of the world's most pressing diseases.
Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, USA, BD employs more than 25,000 people in approximately 50 countries throughout the world.
The company serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, industry and the general public.
