Wiehl, Germany, September 10, 2024 – BGS Beta-Gamma-Service, a leader for more than 40
years in the use of beta and gamma rays for radiation sterilization for medical devices,
pharmaceutical packaging, and biotechnology products, will open its first facility in the United
States next year. The new 100,000-square-foot plant will offer fully automated E-Beam
sterilization and is in Imperial, PA, near the Pittsburgh International Airport. The facility is
expected to be operational in mid-2025 and will operate as BGS US LLC with Leonard Zuba,
formerly Vice President of Sales at Raumedic, Inc., as its General Manager.
“We are delighted that our initial expansion outside of Germany will be in Pittsburgh,” says
Zuba. “Pittsburgh’s proximity to key markets in the Northeast, Midwest, and South makes it an
excellent location for our facility. Interest from customers and prospects regarding our ability to
support them in the U.S. convinced us that there is a growing demand for E-Beam technology in
the United States. Government officials have been extremely helpful with accelerating the
approval process for obtaining various permits.” Bert Whitt, who has extensive experience in
the radiation sterilization of medical devices, will serve as Operations Manager.
The Motivation for Expansion
For decades, ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization has been the preferred sterilization method for medical devices in the U.S. In recent years, growing awareness of the environmental hazards associated with the technology, along with an increasingly difficult-to-obtain supply of Cobalt-60, have threatened domestic sterilization capacity. Viable alternatives such as E-Beam sterilization are not as widespread in the U.S.
“The availability of sterilization capacity poses major challenges for U.S. manufacturers of medical devices, and pharmaceutical and biotechnology products,” says Dr. Andreas Ostrowicki, the Managing Director of BGS Germany. “As a result, supply chain bottlenecks occur frequently. With our new plant in Pittsburgh, we are helping to meet the need for sterilization services with our ionizing radiation technology.” The new facility will be equipped with highly efficient electron accelerator technology and fully automated product handling systems.
The techniques that BGS US will use in Pittsburgh have proven to be effective at the company’s
three sites in Germany. The company is one of the pioneers in the use of E-Beam technology
and operated one of the first facilities of its kind. Earlier this year, the company expanded its
logistics space at its original location in Wiehl, Germany, near Cologne.
About BGS
BGS Beta-Gamma-Service is a leader in the use of beta- and gamma-ray radiation sterilization technology for medical devices, pharmaceutical packaging, and biotechnology products. The company also uses those technologies for radiation crosslinking to serve customers throughout Europe in the automotive, mechanical engineering, infrastructure, and electrical products sectors. BGS was established more than 40 years ago. The privately held company employs more than 200 people, operates three facilities in Germany, and has expanded its operations into the United States with a facility in Imperial, PA, near Pittsburgh International Airport. The
BGS US plant is scheduled to open in mid-2025.
