BD celebrates 75 years of US manufacturing excellence in Nebraska

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, celebrated the 75th anniversary of its manufacturing operations in Columbus, Nebraska, and reinforced the need for and value of domestic production for critical medical devices.

The milestone was celebrated in a ceremony recognizing the achievements of the site and its 2,100 employees. Alongside BD business leaders were Nebraska state and federal officials, including Gov. Jim Pillen, Sen. Pete Ricketts, U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, Mayor Jim Bulkley, the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and others.

"It's critical we support domestic manufacturing like BD's facility in Columbus in order to have a resilient domestic supply chain for critical medical products," said Sen. Ricketts. "BD's commitment to the state of Nebraska is providing jobs for generations of Nebraskans and playing an important role in protecting our national security and public health. I appreciate BD's continued support of local businesses and their investments in its Columbus operations, which includes $200 million in capital investment over the last four years."

"We are incredibly proud of the people of Columbus and Platte County on the great impact they have made the last 75 years helping BD become a global leader developing and making medical devices," said Gov. Pillen. "From my seat, it is clear BD's 75 years of success is traced to the people of Columbus and Nebraska."

BD Columbus opened in 1949 with 25,000 square feet and a staff of 15 employees manufacturing glass fever thermometers. Today, the company employs 2,100 associates in Columbus across three locations and one million square feet. It is one of largest plants in BD's network and is one of only two remaining large-scale syringe manufacturing sites in the U.S., the other being BD's site in Canaan, Conn.

"For 75 years, Columbus has been serving a critical role in BD's global supply chain producing billions of vital medical supplies each year to ensure health care systems can operate efficiently and take care of their patients," said Eric Borin, president of BD Medication Delivery Solutions. "BD has risen to the occasion time and again to meet demand for these essential products. We saw this in the 1950s with the polio vaccine trials, H1N1, COVID-19 and most recently with market disruptions caused by other foreign suppliers. BD's U.S. manufacturing teams right here in Columbus, along with our site in Canaan, have answered the call yet again by boosting domestic syringe production by 50% for the first nine months of 2024 to help improve supply continuity to U.S. health care providers and their patients."

The company's rich history in Columbus started after World War II when the U.S. government requested that the company diversify the geography of where goods were produced and help strengthen the resiliency of the medical supply chain, which still holds true to this day. Henry Becton and Fairleigh Dickinson Jr. traveled to 30 states before deciding on Platte County and the town of Columbus, after being impressed by the people's work ethic and state's eagerness to diversify from its agricultural base.

As part of the celebration, BD recognized their longest tenured associates in Columbus, including two employees who have been with the company for 47 and 48 years, and 164 who have been with the company for more than 25 years. Learn more about these associates and their stories.