Pharmaceutical firms planning to expand

Staff Reports

Two companies owned by Columbus entrepreneur Tony Moravec are expanding along the Indianapolis Road industrial corridor.

Moravec Realty LLC and Applied Laboratories are expanding facilities at 1600 Brian Drive by 40,000 square feet to accommodate installation of new manufacturing equipment, as well as converting previous warehouse space into multiple batching and manufacturing rooms, company officials said.

While Blairex Laboratories resides in the existing 80,000-square-foot facility at Brian Drive, sister company Applied Laboratories, at nearby 3240 N. Indianapolis Road, will expand into the facility as part of the conversion.

Both companies were granted 10-year tax abatements last week from the Columbus City Council for the $4 million in real property improvements and $2.4 million in new equipment.

As a result of the expansion, 88 full-time jobs will be retained and 10 new full-time jobs with an expected average wage of $15 per hour will be added by December 2019, company officials said.

Dunlap Construction will be the contractor for the project, which will begin immediately, said Jeff Logston, vice president of administration and legal affairs for Blairex Laboratories and Applied Laboratories.

Applied Laboratories, founded in 1984, manufactures trade, store brand, over-the-counter, non-prescription, prescription pharmaceutical products and medical devices. The company produces products in liquids, creams, ointments, and gels in standard packaging and state-of-the-art packaging and delivery systems.

Blairex, founded in 1976, provides products for health care facilities, doctors and families, including sterile saline solutions, sleep aids and other over-the-counter products.

The company evaluates its business operations on a regular basis, which led to a decision to expand, Logston said.

“It’s been a natural evolution of our growth,” Logston said.

The project is expected to be completed in 2019, he said.

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Here is a timeline of two companies owned by Columbus entrepreneur Tony Moravec along the Indianapolis Road industrial corridor.

1976: Blairex Laboratories launched as a healthcare company.

1984: Applied Laboratories, a sister company, established as a regulatory consulting firm.

1988: Applied Laboratories moves into 20,533-square-foot building in Columbus to begin manufacturing in pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical, medical device and health care industries.

1989: Applied Laboratories adds 20,000-square-foot expansion.

1994: The company expands again, adding 40,000 more square feet.

2001: Blairex Laboratories opens 40,000-square-foot facility in Columbus for pharmaceutical sales, marketing and distribution.

2014: Blairex adds a 40,000-square-foot addition to its Columbus building.

2017: Applied Laboratories begins a 40,000-square-foot expansion that will add 10 new jobs by December 2019.

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