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Unilife CEO Alan Shortall on his decision to move production from China to Pennsylvania.
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Factory jobs are outsourced to China these days -- our next guest is looking to bring those jobs back to the United States joining us now it's Alan.
Paul the CEO of -- -- life great to see I appreciate you coming at.
First just a little bit about what -- -- -- -- it's a medical tech company.
That uses pre filled syringes and you brought one along I'd I'd fascinated by this idea just show us how works you'd like -- she visited global American leader of advancement delivery systems this is one of our lead product is get a close up of that very one of our lead products which is actually pre filled syringe is the words first and only.
Prefers syringe which fully integrated safety features in this can prevent a lot of accidents or what not only accidents but infections from happening on our hospitals -- suited to the risk of country do blood borne viruses such as -- -- be in -- -- that is the is an enormous risk for an OK so this is something that you -- manufacturing in China.
For a oversees one of a part of yes this is somewhere publicly where.
-- affection in China -- -- -- an Australian company we have source not a -- to China.
But because we see the company has been the global.
Opportunity we -- she decided to relocate.
To us to do USA we -- them and affection and in this China.
And we actually -- and an affection facility of forty million -- and -- facility in Pennsylvania.
And we've actually grown a 100% don't know last three year while projecting will be employing over 400 people in Pennsylvania now.
We have had people before -- who had businesses that were operating were manufacturing in China came back to the United States because.
They were they were really bothered by the quality they were bothered by some broken promises from the Chinese they understood that that the labor costs are a lot cheaper there -- supposed to your your paying.
You know dollar fifteen hours opposed to twenty dollars an hour over here.
But with all of the problems with China they realize that it would actually be cheaper to bring the product to bring -- -- a fractured back home.
Is that basically whatever you.
Yeah look at them did do you -- has a fantastic global reputation for high quality products no question but that.
And we want to piggyback on that.
From some companies actually by the devices who must put their drugs in it and delivered those devices with the drugs into the marketplace.
Was critical of for us to be able to -- back and that reputation.
In the USA for our pharmaceutical partners to know that they could trust us and our devices.
With the kind of quality systems and the sterilization process is available course is a matter of life and death your product absolutely so so -- capitalize on that US reputation.
And the US government have been very helpful to us as well I mean we -- -- well -- achieve.
And guaranteed a big chunk of our mortgage and in in from out of -- -- in a building.
And we essentially federal government and our government gets to -- US department of agriculture and in fact we've been invited to the way to some Friday in recognition I.
Heard about -- congratulations.
Now let me let me just ask you -- because a lot of our viewers are against bailouts or or government subsidies -- Would even without those those assistance the assistance for you to to move here which have done it anyway.
We would have done it anyway what you've got to remember in the last three uses global economic crisis there's no easy quick fix -- so accessing capital for mortgages for building facilities to the banks were nonexistent.
The US government been able to actually give us that guarantee made the process a lot easier.
And maybe had been put them in place in levels to focus our attention on growing our business having got that have well you know sometimes this government helped him become an albatross.
We've just seen other companies that.
That's for one reason or another get you get in desperate -- shape and have to have the government come -- and help him out some way.
But then that that the ties to what the regulations the oversight -- ever get to be too much of you -- to -- data -- that they've they've come so was -- ludicrous that you can operate them in fact.
We we have made -- decision not to access some.
The fund intelligence -- just too hard in the actual time -- would consume to try and access.
Is far cost more costly than the benefits we get from some that program fascinating that's fast and so -- put -- -- you're you're good example of a company that debt.
Was lord and in what way but she realized pretty soon that that there's a double edged sword to government help yeah absolutely and -- -- turned and government house.
We don't need it but it's it's useful and certainly over the last if you can turn it down you're saying well you potentially Blair averted -- we didn't go to access strings attached were too -- absolutely and sometimes the Reagan and regulatory bodies are cheaper to which many pros is advice would you got to remember that's also what brought us here.
Because those regulatory requirements to the FDAETC.
Is what gives -- -- reputation which we piggybacked -- so it's a double edged -- by the way -- -- and a lot of folks wonder you don't sound like -- -- you were originally from Ireland rather -- Marlon and and then -- 22 years in Australia so there's probably a -- somewhere and and and and argue now US -- yes and pay my taxes -- to the -- yet but we're glad to have -- -- thank you for the work that you -- and congratulated its -- you want to go to the White House think it's a great --
