Local manufacturer moving operations out of Bellingham
A longtime Bellingham manufacturer is moving its operations to California and Arizona later this year.
La Belle Inc., which uses colostrum to make a variety of health products, is moving its operations to Ripon, Calif., and Phoenix. Last month La Belle was bought by PanTheryx, a global medical nutrition company based in Boulder, Colo. The move is to consolidate the company’s research and production, allowing for more aggressive research, said Mark Braman, president and CEO of PanTheryx.
The move will happen in phases throughout 2017 and impact about 25 employees that work in Bellingham. Many of them have been offered the opportunity to transfer to one of PanTheryx’s other facilities, Braman said. Employees unable to transfer will receive some additional compensation, he said. The Bellingham facility is at 4040 Bakerview Spur, in the Irongate business park.
“The Bellingham employees are highly talented and highly valued,” Braman said. “I hope they will be able to remain part of the PanTheryx team as we expand and grow.”
Colostrum is a pre-milk substance that is produced in mammals, and La Belle is an industry leader in developing it for use in health products. According to its website, La Belle was founded in 1984 by Henry Wiebe. La Belle was operated by the Wiebe family until last month’s sale.
In a news release announcing the sale, PanTheryx said the purchase of La Belle and another company, APS Biogroup, gives the company access to two major producers of colostrum, which is a key ingredient for DiaResQ, a product that helps restore digestive function. That product helps address the global health concern of infectious diarrhea, which is a leading cause of death worldwide among children under the age of 5, according to the news release.
“As a company, we are firmly committed to realizing the full potential of colostrum,” Braman said.
Dave Gallagher: 360-715-2269, @BhamHeraldBiz
This story was originally published March 3, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Local manufacturer moving operations out of Bellingham."