DEERFIELD, Illinois—Baxter International Inc., a global medical technology company, said that rain and flooding in Western North Carolina from Hurricane Helene has resulted in its Marion, North Carolina facility being closed for production.
The company is working continuously in close coordination with local, state and federal officials to assess the extent of the damage and implement a plan to bring its North Cove plant back online as quickly as possible in order to help mitigate supply disruption to patients. The facilty employs more than 2,500 people and primarily makes intravenous and peritoneal dialysis solutions, including for at-home use.
“Our hearts and thoughts are with all those affected by Hurricane Helene,” said José Almeida, chair, president and chief executive officer at Baxter. “The safety of our employees, their families and the communities in which we operate remains our utmost concern, and we are committed to helping ensure reliable supply of products to patients. Remediation efforts are already underway, and we will spare no resource—human or financial—to resume production and help ensure patients and providers have the products they need.”
Ahead of the storm, Baxter implemented its hurricane preparedness plan, which included evacuation plans for colleagues and proactively moving products to higher ground or secure storage when possible. The heavy rainfall and storm surge triggered a levee breach, which led to water permeating the site. Additionally, the bridges accessing the site have been damaged.
Baxter is communicating with its customers about the actions the company is taking to minimize potential disruptions. These include actively managing inventory and implementing a protective allocation process by product line to help support supply continuity and equitable product distribution. The company will leverage Baxter's global manufacturing network to help mitigate potential supply impact as it continues efforts to fully restore North Cove's manufacturing operations.
The Baxter International Foundation has donated $1.5 million to its humanitarian aid partners to help address recovery needs, including allocating additional funds to its employee disaster relief fund, and is matching employee donations in a 2-1 ratio for relief efforts.
Baxter is working with regulatory agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, local and state authorities and Baxter colleagues. Baxter will continue to provide updates as additional information becomes available, aiming to provide an update on estimated timing to resume production.
