Nutramax labs expanding facilities in Lancaster; 125 new jobs coming

Gov. Nikki Haley joined the list of testimonials for the Cosequin joint supplement for animals, which is made at the Nutramax Laboratories in Lancaster.

Haley promised Monday that the new first dog, Bentley, a labradoodle, will only use Cosequin. She joins Jack Hanna, zookeeper and television personality, in endorsing the supplement.

Haley’s promise came as Nutramax celebrated a $15 million expansion that is expected to create 125 new jobs. The company recently purchased a 138,000-square-foot building on Flat Creek Road. Distribution of the company’s pet supplements will be consolidated there, allowing Nutramax more space to expand its manufacturing facility on Quality Drive.

Most of the work at the plant is done in the “bubble,” a series of clean rooms where chemicals are mixed. The product is pressed in tablets or made into capsules, and then packaged. Only when the bottles are sealed does the product leave the clean rooms.

It is the first South Carolina expansion for Nutramax, which came to Lancaster in 2010, investing $29 million and creating 250 jobs. The company now employs about 300 people at its Lancaster facilities and more than 80 percent of the employees live in the county. The company received job development credits from the state as well as $600,000 rural infrastructure grant to assist with the expansion.

Nutramax started with a God-inspired dream and two people, said Robert W. Henderson, company founder and chairman of the board.

“I had just had a company go south on me,” Henderson said Monday. He was wondering what to do next when he had the idea of mixing two compounds to form a supplement. One compound – glucosamine hydrochloride – would be the offense, becoming a building block for cartilage. The other compound – chondroitin sulfate – would be the defense, blocking the enzymes that break down cartilage.

The supplement was first marketed to humans.

A second formula, using the same chemicals, was developed for animals and tested by his son, Todd, a veterinarian. Todd tried the veterinary product on two dogs that were waiting for surgery. “It worked so well that the vet didn’t recognize the dogs when they came for surgery,” Robert Henderson said.

The result is Nutramax Laboratories Consumer Care, which employs about 100 people, making the supplement for human consumption. Robert Henderson said he has loyal group of workers at the facility in Edgewood, Md., and would not think of closing that plant.

The formulas for pets and horses are made at the Lancaster plant, officially Nutramax Laboratories Veterinary Science.

Demand for the veterinary products has rapidly grown because vets “have been receptive to our product and they talk to each other,” Robert Henderson said. Another reason may be people tend to spend more money on their pet’s health than on themselves, Henderson said.

Whether it’s in Maryland or South Carolina, Nutramax prides itself on being a Christian-centered company. The Ten Commandments are posted on the wall and Bible study is held Wednesdays at the Lancaster plant.

“The creator controls us all,” Robert Henderson said.

Their faith is front and center, so much so that when Monday’s event was about to conclude, Robert Henderson issued a “challenge” to the governor. It came from the Bible, Chronicles 7, verse 14.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

This story was originally published February 1, 2016 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Nutramax labs expanding facilities in Lancaster; 125 new jobs coming."