Although it has only been in operation for about two weeks, the new
Grandville BioLife Center location is already getting nearly 1,000 plasma donations per week.
It's a good sign for Regional Marketing Representative Danielle Wells, who says those numbers only confirm BioLife's need to build the new one-story, $6 million facility at 6331 Kenowa Avenue SW.
With anywhere between 2,500 and 3,000 weekly donations at each of the existing locations in Kentwood and Walker, construction on the new 16,500 square-foot Grandville donation center began in October 2013 after existing centers began reaching capacity.
Boasting 72 beds, free wifi and a supervised playroom where parents can drop off their children free of charge while they donate, the Grandville BioLife center is the largest of the three, also serving to bridge the Southwest gap in the region's service.
While the Grandville BioLife center has initially created 35 jobs - some positions filled by transfers from Kentwood and Walker locations and some new - they expect to have anywhere from 50-70 employees as the donation center grows.
"As donations to the center grow, they're going to be increasing the hours and also adding more staff," Wells said.
Owned by the publicly traded Baxter Health Co., which turns donated plasma into products that can help treat patients for hemophilia, immune disorders and more,
BioLife Plasma Services operates five total locations in Michigan and 68 locations throughout the U.S.
All three locations are currently hiring, and many of the openings are for entry-level center technicians, which Wells says don't require any special education as BioLife provides training for all new staff members.
To learn more about
careers at BioLife or to submit an application online, visit www.biolifeplasma.com and click on the "Careers" tab under the “About BioLife” dropdown menu.
Written by Anya Zentmeyer
Images Courtesy of BioLife Plasma Services
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