News Releases

Sen. Moran Applauds Thermo Fisher For Increasing Production of COVID-19 Test Tubes in Kansas

Thermo Fisher Plant in Lenexa to Increase Production By Millions of Test Tubes Weekly

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) applauded Thermo Fisher Scientific, a Lenexa manufacturer, after their announcement of a new federal contract “to provide highly specialized viral transport media (VTM) for COVID-19 sample collection.” The public-private partnership between Thermo Fisher and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will rapidly expand testing capability in the U.S. and create 300 new full-time jobs in the Lenexa-area.

“Widespread testing is a necessary component for safely opening the American economy and returning our lives to normal,” said Sen. Moran. “I applaud Thermo Fisher for committing to produce additional test tubes and am proud that Kansas manufacturing can play an important role in addressing our nation’s testing shortage. Kansans never fail to step up in our country’s time of need and this is no different. Thermo Fisher’s ability to manufacture test tubes and significantly increase production in the next couple of weeks is an important step in making certain Americans can feel secure in their health and safely return to work.”

Provided by Thermo Fisher:

  • To ensure accuracy of COVID-19 test results, VTM must be manufactured and dispensed into tubes in an aseptic environment. Thermo Fisher currently produces VTM at its site in Lenexa, Kansas, which meets this requirement, and has ramped production from 50,000 to more than one million VTM-filled tubes per week.
  • Given the significant demand for COVID-19 testing and associated sample collection, Thermo Fisher will expand capacity in Lenexa with a new $40 million facility dedicated to VTM production and quality control. The added capacity and increased efficiencies will allow the company to scale production to more than eight million VTM-filled tubes per week.
  • The company plans to complete the new Lenexa facility in Q3 and expects that it will create approximately 300 new full-time jobs. 

# # #