New U.S. Manufacturing Facilities From AbbVie, NOVA Chemicals, Guill Tool, and More
Key Highlights
- PharmaLink adds 50,000+ sq. ft. to its Largo, FL, facility to double capacity and add robotics by November 2025.
- NOVA Chemicals opens a Connersville, IN, plant that will produce 110 million pounds of recycled resin annually by 2026.
- AbbVie invests $195 million in North Chicago, IL, to expand API production for key therapeutic areas.
- Guill Tool opens Guill Labs in Rhode Island for advanced rheology and extrusion testing services.
PharmaLink Expands Florida Facility
Who: PharmaLink, a provider of pharmaceutical reverse distribution, product recall, and returns credit management services.
Where: Largo, Florida
Details: PharmaLink is expanding its flagship operations center by more than 50,000 square feet, bringing the total facility size to 150,000 square feet. The expansion, set to open in June 2025, will more than double the company's processing capacity and support onboarding of additional manufacturers, chain pharmacies, and wholesale clients.
The new space will make room for a suite of advanced robotic systems and proprietary workflow software launching in November 2025. These upgrades aim to boost throughput, shorten client cycle times, enhance compliance, and support sustainability goals. The project will also create dozens of skilled jobs in operations, IT, and quality assurance.
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NOVA Chemicals Constructs One of the World’s Largest Film Recycling Facilities
Who: NOVA Chemicals, with support from the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS)
Where: Connersville, Indiana
Details: NOVA Chemicals has officially opened its first-ever mechanical recycling facility, SYNDIGO1, which is among the world’s largest polyethylene film recycling plants. Located in Connersville, Indiana, the plant will be fully operational by the end of 2025 and is expected to process 145,000 bales of plastic film annually, producing approximately 110 million pounds of recycled polyethylene by 2026.
The $519 billion U.S. plastics industry marked the facility's opening with a celebration attended by PLASTICS President and CEO Matt Seaholm. The plant supports roughly 125 jobs and is certified by both the FDA and GreenBlue for producing 100% post-consumer recycled polyethylene. SYNDIGO1 will partner with major retailers and distribution centers to collect and reprocess film into high-quality resin for packaging applications.
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AbbVie Invests $195 Million to Expand API Manufacturing in North Chicago
Who: AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company
Where: North Chicago, Illinois
Details: AbbVie is investing $195 million to expand its North Chicago manufacturing plant, boosting U.S. production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used in neuroscience, immunology, and oncology medicines. The project is part of the company's broader plan to invest more than $10 billion in domestic facilities over the next decade, strengthening innovation and manufacturing capabilities in critical therapeutic areas.
Construction on the new facility will begin in fall 2025, with full operations expected in 2027. The expansion will increase AbbVie's chemical synthesis capacity and add to its existing U.S. manufacturing network, which already supports over 6,000 jobs across 11 sites. Headquartered in Illinois with more than 11,000 employees in the state, AbbVie says the investment underscores its long-term commitment to domestic production, job creation, and advancing next-generation treatments.
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Guill Launches Guill Labs to Expand Materials and Extrusion Testing
Who: Guill Tool, a global leader in extrusion tooling
Where: West Warwick, Rhode Island (Guill headquarters)
Details: Guill Tool has expanded its capabilities with the creation of Guill Labs, combining a state-of-the-art rheology lab with a dedicated extrusion testing facility to better serve the global extrusion market.
The rheology lab analyzes the flow behavior of plastics and rubber, helping customers predict how materials will perform in Guill's extrusion dies before production. Using equipment such as a rotational rheometer, scanning calorimeter, thermal conductivity meter, and a new CT scanner, the lab generates precise data to optimize tooling geometry and simulate real-world conditions.
The new extrusion test lab houses two Killion 1.25-in extruders, a vacuum tank, dual-axis laser gauge, drying systems, a custom tubing puller, and an Accurate Thermal Systems fluidized bath with a 122 to 1121°F (50 to 605°C) range. The facility supports single and co-extrusion trials, rotary die extrusion, and testing with exotic materials.
In addition to materials and die testing, Guill Labs offers extrusion training, die cleaning, sample inspection, and end-product testing—enabling customers to validate materials, dies, and actual run times onsite for faster, higher-quality production.
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