These include components for heart drugs and schizophrenia treatments. Avlon is also, along with Macclesfield site in the north west and Sodertalje in Sweden, an integral part of the global AstraZeneca Process Research and Development(R&D) organisation.

Originally farmland, the site was bought by the company in 1959. Since then it has seen the manufacture first of organic chemicals, then agricultural products, before pharmaceutical production began in 1971.

Our facilities occupy around 175 acres of land, of which 50 acres are currently dedicated to various aspects of Manufacturing, Process R&D or support activities.

Recent investment has added state-of-the-art laboratories and has considerably extended the site's manufacturing capacity and associated infrastructure - including additional offices, restaurant and reception areas.

Our Avlon production facilities are operated and controlled, around the clock, by a highly skilled workforce. We employ 350 people here, supported by many specialist contractors, and Avlon has achieved the Investor in People accreditation.

With Avlon's output being transported all over the world, we manage supply and demand using a sophisticated integrated computer system and organise deliveries, manufacture, testing and despatch to ensure we meet our customers' requirements.

Our role at Avlon in Process R&D is to design, develop, scale-up and transfer to Manufacture safe, robust, commercially viable processes for the production of specific drugs within the AstraZeneca range. This work involves approximately 150 members of our workforce in supporting the project requirements of AstraZeneca research units by concentrating - in collaboration with the AstraZeneca R&D site at Charnwood, Loughborough - on Analytical Chemistry, Process Chemistry, Process Engineering and Development Manufacture.