Medical and electronic thermoform packaging specialist Prent (Janesville, Wisconsin / USA; www.prent.com) is to open two new facilities at the beginning of 2010, with an expanded presence in China and its first European facility in Denmark.

Prent China has moved from its base in Shanghai, which it has occupied for five years, to a new facility, double the size of its original building and with the capability for expansion. The new facility, which is divided into three class 8 clean rooms and is fully compliant with all medical requirements, is a full service, thermoforming operation, embracing sales, product design, thermoforming, production control, secondary operations and just-in-time delivery service. It is located within a secure private compound, which has been specified to accommodate future growth, and currently employs 300 people.

BJ Nielsen, Prent Asia president, said: “In the next 10 years, we believe China will experience a significantly higher growth rate than North America or Europe. At Prent China, we anticipate modest yearly growth from our already substantial consumer electronics business. Within our core medical business, we expect sales in the next five years to double at minimum, as more global medical device manufacturers move into China.”

Prent Denmark’s full-service thermoforming centre is scheduled to open in Holbaek on 4 January 2010. “The new building is state-of-the art and energy efficient. It will house our newest thermoformers with sophisticated robotics inside class 8 clean rooms,” said Joseph Pregont, Prent president and CEO. When the facility opens, it will incorporate product design and quality assurance, in addition to thermoformers. As demand grows it is planned to add tool engineering, tool building and secondary operations, the company said.

Prent Denmark will initially employ 20 to 25 people, but the company believes that in five years this could reach 100 or more. The company has recently purchased an additional six acres of land at the site to allow for expansion.