Swindon firm raises flag to support council’s place marketing campaign

One of the town’s major employers has nailed its colours to the mast in support of Swindon.

Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, has raised the ‘Swindon: Make it Here’ place‑branding flag at its Kingfisher Drive headquarters in a show of support for Swindon Borough Council’s campaign to champion local innovation, skills and investment.

The flag was raised at a short ceremony attended by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Jim Robbins, alongside senior representatives from Thermo Fisher.

The flag symbolises Thermo Fisher’s continued commitment to Swindon and the firm’s backing for the Council’s ongoing place marketing and inward investment focus, which is designed to attract new jobs and prosperity to the town.

Councillor Jim Robbins, Leader of Swindon Borough Council, said: “Thermo Fisher is a pillar of Swindon’s advanced manufacturing and life sciences community, and I’m delighted to see the company flying the ‘Swindon: Make It Here’ flag.

“This public show of support underlines its confidence in our town, our people and our shared future. Swindon is a place where world‑class products are made every day, and today’s event showcases the strong partnership between business and the Council to bring more investment, high‑quality jobs and opportunity to local residents.”

Colin Drummond, General Manager, of Thermo Fisher’s Swindon site, said: “We are proud to raise the ‘Swindon: Make It Here’ flag as a symbol of our long-standing commitment to the town.

“Swindon has been our home for more than 50 years, and the strength of our skilled workforce continues to play a vital role in our success.

“Our continued investment in the site and plans for future growth reflect our confidence in Swindon as a place to innovate, manufacture and build careers. We are pleased to support the Council’s campaign and champion the town as a location where world-class products are made every day.”

Thermo Fisher has been based in Dorcan since 1970 originally operating as French pharmaceutical company Roussel Laboratories before becoming part of Patheon, which was acquired by Thermo Fisher in 2017.

The site is now home to Thermo Fisher, one of the largest life sciences companies in the country and a global organisation employing 120,000 employees worldwide.

The Swindon site has a long history of producing sterile liquid and lyophilised products and, since 2020, has invested $200m to support the manufacture of critical vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs.

The 300,000 sq ft site is now a full‑scale commercial manufacturing facility producing sterile products for the pharmaceutical industry and employs almost 400 people.

During a visit to the company last summer, Cllr Robbins heard how Thermo Fisher plans to grow the site over the next five years, creating up to 100 additional jobs.

As part of this growth, the site is currently recruiting for a range of roles, including production operator positions across packaging, inspection and aseptic manufacturing, as well as laboratory technician and quality roles. Those interested in joining the Swindon team can find more information and apply at https://jobs.thermofisher.com.