G.costtier: Supply chain risk assessment is likely to be a priority for manufacturers over the next 2-3 years. Once this assessment is completed, supplier diversification will be at/near the top of most risk mitigation strategies. Geographical diversification may be the second stage. We suspect this will take the form of close quarters and "ally" support.

On-site implementation will be slowest as costs, regulations, available resources, etc. all take time to work through. Sourcing from cost-focused suppliers increases product costs but is offset by shorter delivery cycles, less inventory in transit, and less obsolescence. Our global network and local regulatory expertise allow us the flexibility to provide the best supply solutions to our customers' needs.

"As a raw material supplier, we also need to be flexible and agile in creating customized key raw materials to serve this innovative market."

Do you have investment plans you can share with us, either in existing facilities and capabilities or in new ones?

G.cotier: As our industry evolves and manufacturing processes evolve, we constantly review global and local technological advances as well as legislative and regulatory changes to ensure we are on top. We regularly compare ourselves and the best in other markets to ensure that we understand and strive to use the latest systems and practices in our network of facilities. For example, we have launched a Global MasterControl eQMS (Quality Management System) to ensure that we are all operating on a unified system, providing our customers with the assurance of global quality management wherever they are.

In addition, we have been committed to investing in our facilities. Recently, we opened a new 30,000-square-foot state-of-the-art clinical cGMP API manufacturing facility in Eugene (Oregon), and we have just upgraded two GMP facilities in Montreal to Levels 7 and 8.

What are your plans for Echemi to continue to grow and succeed in the markets it serves?

G.costtier: Echemi is the culmination of an ambitious initiative launched several years ago to address major unmet needs in key industries for better and more reliable access to key raw materials and high-performance ingredients that are essential to manufacturing highly regulated products. The supply chain challenges of the past few years have made our vision for Echemi particularly important, and we are proud to help our customers reliably manufacture the life-giving products we rely on.

Our strategy is simple - to offer choice to our customers. We will continue to refine this strategy through organic growth and more acquisitions in the life sciences sector in the coming years.