COVID_19 tests to be made here

Artemis Plastics existing Ocala plant on Northeast 14th Street

An Ocala company will open a new plant and begin manufacturing up to 1 million COVID-19 test kits each month.

Ocala’s Artemis Plastics, which has an existing plant at 2811 NE 14th St., announced that it will open a new 30,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in the Ocala International Commerce Park, at 4901 NW Fifth St. County property records show the property sold for $1.75 million. The company’s CEO, Gary Mishkin, said the company expects to create 100 new jobs.

“They already have one facility here, and it’s been a great experience,” said Kevin Sheilley, president and CEO of the Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership.

The new plant initially will manufacture 1 million COVID-19 testing kits each month, but the company’s goal is to ramp up to where it is producing 1 million test kits per week. And while manufacturing new COVID-19 test kits will be the initial focus of the plant, it also will manufacture other medical devices that will keep the plant busy long term.

“This isn’t a short-term thing,” Sheilley said. “It’s a long-term thing for them.”

Artemis Plastics will manage injection molding, assembly, pouching and distribution of the test kits manufactured at the new location. Established in 2014, Artemis specializes in the production and assembly of
injection molded plastic components, serving domestic and international medical, industrial, and consumer markets.

“One of the primary goals of the CEP and local leadership is to build a diverse, robust local economy,” said Angie Lewis, CEP board chair. “Artemis is already a great corporate citizen, and the addition of this second facility focused on manufacturing medical products, especially to fight this pandemic, just further advances the goals of our community.”