Lotion in motion: Vanicream maker to add third expansion in three years
Mar. 15—ROCHESTER — Vanicream and its related products continue to grow in popularity, which drove the expansions of
Pharmaceutical Specialties Inc.
's Rochester facility in 2020, 2021, and now again in 2022.
PSI, founded by Rochester pharmacists Conrad Thompson and Edward Mansfield in 1974, continues to expand its footprint at 1620 Industrial Drive NW. In 2020, it added a 15,500-square-foot expansion of its facility, followed by
a 9,250-square-foot addition
to its warehouse in 2021.
And now the construction crews are gearing up again at the home of the sensitive skin products in blue and white tubs.
PSI submitted building permits this week to add another 5,000 square feet to its warehouses as well as a 4,000-square-foot, two-story office section.
In 2021, co-president and COO Rick Sandwick predicted building a second floor would happen within five years as the company reached the limits of expanding outward on its more-than-4-acre plot. His prediction is coming true much sooner than expected.
The hope is to complete the latest expansion by this fall.
While PSI makes and sells more than 20 products, Vanicream is still the big driver of the growth. The thick, white skin cream without any fragrances or chemicals is still the company's top seller more than 40 years after it was introduced.
The workforce on the northwest campus is also growing. PSI now employs more than 120 people, up from 110 less than a year ago.
The company employed 30 people when it moved into the former Telex complex on Industrial Drive in 2003. PSI made the move after outgrowing three other Rochester manufacturing plants.
Jeff Kiger tracks business action in Rochester and southeastern Minnesota every day in "Heard on the Street." Send tips to
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@whereskiger
. You can call him at 507-285-7798.
