SPI Pharma celebrates 50th anniversary of Lewes location

Ever used an antacid, like Mylanta, to ease a stomach ache? Thank SPI Pharma for helping to produce that aid, and they’ve been right in the Cape Region backyard for half a century.

In 1969, SPI Pharma opened its manufacturing site, then known as Barcroft, in Lewes, producing antacids, mineral supplements and digestive aids. Tucked away near the Delaware Bay, the location has had a long-standing history of success, helping SPI become the world’s leading supplier of antacid actives, with approximately 4 billion bottles of medicine produced in its history. On Sept. 19, the company celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Lewes location.

SPI Pharma acts as the center of a web, manufacturing the base ingredients that are sent out to other pharmaceutical companies for various uses, officials said. The Lewes site produces magnesium hydroxide and aluminum hydroxide by scraping the sea bottom near Breakwater Harbor and then returning the treated water back to the bay, officials said. Discussing measures to protect the environment, CEO Jeanne Thoma said, “In our process, everything we do considers the environment. Safety and the environment are the most critical parts.”

Ecology aside, what has made the Lewes location special is the community it has created. Lewes Mayor Ted Becker and Sen. Ernie Lopez, R-Lewes, both read celebratory statements, commending SPI Pharma for bringing jobs to the area for decades. Becker stated many employees have become active members of the community and are continuing to help Lewes grow.

Jon Struthers, general manager of antacids and catalysts, said, “The community and family is really the biggest feature of our factory. It’s one of its strengths. You know people enjoy the company when they bring on their children or other family members to work here. But it also creates its own family, too, within the company.”

With 50 years of service, SPI Pharma has made its place in Lewes, helping become an anchor point of the area’s economy. As for the future, Struthers said many more years still lie ahead. “As I look to the future, I’m very confident Lewes will continue to play its part,” he said.

For more information on SPI Pharma, go to spipharma.com.