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Meet Takeda - 2019 Facility of the Year Award Honorable Mention Category Winner

Barbara Peck
Takeda - 2019 Facility of the Year Award Honorable Mention Category Winner

Takeda is one of two 2019 Facility of the Year Award Honorable Mention Winners for their Georgia Manufacturing Facility project in Social Circle, Georgia.

Takeda - 2019 Facility of the Year Award Honorable Mention Winner

Projects selected for recognition with an Honorable Mention Award are typically projects that utilize new technology or are located in a challenging region of the world. These projects do not win for a specific category but are clearly successful projects that overcame significant challenges in planning, execution, and delivery and deserve recognition for their achievements.



Founded in 1986, Takeda is the leading global biotechnology company focused on serving people with rare diseases. Every year, millions of patients depend upon plasma-derived therapies obtained through plasma fractionation processes. These processes isolate essential life-saving proteins found in human plasma. As the demand for plasma-derived therapies increases globally, Takeda’s new 1.1 million-square-foot Georgia Manufacturing Facility near Covington is the cornerstone of a global strategy to ensure delivery to patients world-wide through an integrated network that includes plasma donor centers, plasma testing laboratories, and manufacturing facilities in the US and Europe.

Planned within a 160-acre site, this state-of-the-art facility fully integrated the technical requirements of both upstream and downstream manufacturing, while achieving optimal adjacencies between process areas and created an environment that positively impacted the wellness of employees. Facility features and amenities were incorporated to help support the emotional, physical and financial well-being of employees which include access to natural light and views, collaborative interior spaces, on-site fitness facilities, exterior walking paths, full-service cafeteria, and an on-site credit union. The campus environment enhances Takeda’s ability to provide life-saving therapies and attract and retain talented employees who can focus on the needs of patients.

Through the innovative use of design and construction tools, implementation of project risk management strategies, and the project team’s commitment to a high level of communication and collaboration, this monumental project was designed and built utilizing a fast-track process, meeting the project’s budget and schedule expectation. Takeda’s uncompromising commitment to safety, as well as the dedication of the design and construction team and all project suppliers, resulted in over nine million staff-hours expended over four years with zero fatalities and only three cases of lost workdays.

The facility provides an unprecedented level of product manufacturing capability and capacity, ensuring safe and efficient delivery of crucial plasma-based therapies around the world. This large volume, high efficiency facility achieves reduced process cycle times and increased up-time to generate operational efficiency that is constantly refined through regular Continuous Improvement and Operational Efficiency programs, ensuring Takeda’s business continuity and reliable supply of life-saving therapeutics.


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Through the innovative use of design and construction tools, implementation of project risk management strategies, and the project team’s commitment to a high level of communication and collaboration, this monumental project was designed and built utilizing a fast-track process, meeting the project’s budget and schedule expectation. Takeda’s uncompromising commitment to safety, as well as the dedication of the design and construction team and all project suppliers, resulted in over nine million staff-hours expended over four years with zero fatalities and only three cases of lost workdays.

ISPE congratulates the Takeda team for their achievements and their FOYA award winning entry for an Honorable Mention. Learn more about the 2019 FOYA Honorable Mention winners.


Has your company recently designed, built or renovated a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical or biotechnology facility that is best in its class? ISPE is now accepting entries into the 2020 ISPE Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) Program, and your facility may be eligible to apply. Learn more about the Facility of the Year Awards submission process and your company could be the next Facility of the Year Awards Category winner.

Submit Application

Facility of the Year Awards Banquet

Join ISPE and prominent industry leaders as we recognize the 2019 Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) Category Winners for their innovation and creativity in pharmaceutical and biotechnology facility design, construction, and operation, at the FOYA Banquet on the evening of Sunday, 27 October 2019 in Las Vegas, NV during the 2019 ISPE Annual Meeting and Expo.