Logan company playing big role in transporting COVID-19 vaccines

LOGAN, Utah — Thousands of sterile containers used to transport COVID-19 vaccines are being made right here in Utah.

Providing containers for the vaccines

Thermo Fisher Scientific in Logan has already hired hundreds of new employees to help keep up with the demand. Management says many are putting in overtime as the company tries to keep up with a flood of orders.

“We knew pretty early on that this was a big deal and started hiring real quick,” says site lead Dustin Warner. “We have fulfilled thousands of orders so far this year, related to COVID-19.”

According to Warner, they already were planning a 20,000-square-foot expansion. As it turns out, the pandemic forced the expansion to come sooner than expected.

“Shortly thereafter, the beginning of the year, we were introduced to COVID-19 and the products that we manufacture play a key part in the supply chain for the vaccines and therapeutics for COVID-19,” he explained.

The planned expansion was pushed three months earlier than originally conceived as vaccine makers told the company what they were going to need. For a company that specializes in cleanliness and safety, they were willing and able to meet the demand. 

“Thermo Fisher’s mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer,” said Warner. “Never has there been a time where that mission has been more important than 2020.”

Help wanted

Specifically, they’ve made more than 300 new hires and are looking to bring in another 250 new employees. These individuals will help to make the bio containers in Logan that store and transport the various COVID-19 vaccines.

“Early on, beginning of the year, we started seeing the orders come through, very large orders,” he explained. “So we’ve been ramping up and manufacturing all year.”

Warner adds they also provide personal protection, testing and freezers that store the vaccines.