WOLO: Nephron Nitrile Grand Opening in West Columbia

December 7, 2022

WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) – State leaders gathered in West Columbia for the grand opening of Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation’s new plant. The Nephron Nitrile plant is the first in the country to produce American-made, medical-grade first-in-class nitrile gloves. 

Nephron Nitrile is an expansion of Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation and its an investment of more than $100 million in the Midlands and will bring at least 250 jobs to the area. 

“Yesterday in Florence we announced a plant that will build batteries for BMW. Ladies and gentleman that brings the capital investment in South Carolina along with this one which was announced earlier – up to December 6th – at over $6 billion dollars, that is a record,” says South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster.

CEO Lou Kennedy says the plant will produce around 2.5 billion gloves a year. Nephron’s goal is to reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources of life saving products. 

“We saw our glove prices go from $3.00 to $30.00 during the pandemic and that was if you could find them. So for us to have some control of the supply, help out with the supply chain right here on the east coast where the large part of our population is in the U.S is a good thing,“ says Kennedy. 

Nephron Pharmaceutical Corporation isn’t done yet says Kennedy, there are plans to open another business across the street. “We already make life saving breathing medication, we make all manner of drugs that are on the drug shortage list, injectable drugs, now we are going to make gloves, and our next business will be to make our own syringes.”