Engineering Scope

Process & Facility Design

Facility planning and process design for oral solid dose, liquid, topical, sterile, and API operations, including user requirements, process flow diagrams, P&IDs, equipment layouts, material and personnel flows, and specifications suitable for cGMP manufacturing.

Cleanroom & MEP Engineering

Cleanroom and building-system engineering for classified production suites, laboratories, warehouses, and support areas. Scope can include HVAC zoning and pressure cascades, plumbing, fire protection coordination, architectural planning, and mechanical utility distribution.

Clean & Process Utilities

Design and integration of purified water, water for injection, clean steam, process gases, compressed air, CIP, and SIP systems, with attention to hygienic piping, drainability, capacity, redundancy, and maintainable utility routing.

Electrical Power Engineering

Low- and medium-voltage distribution, transformers, switchgear, MCCs, emergency power, lighting, grounding, and equipment power for regulated facilities. Designs address applicable NEC requirements, hazardous locations, selective coordination, and facility continuity needs.

Controls & Automation

PLC, HMI, SCADA, batch, historian, and manufacturing-system integration for process equipment and packaged skids. LAPORTE develops control narratives, instrumentation, network architecture, alarm strategies, and ISA-88-aligned batch controls with appropriate electronic-record considerations. Regulated controls work can include IDMZ and Purdue-model network design, UL 508A panel assembly and installation, under fixed-fee or managed T&M delivery with lifecycle documentation.

Commissioning & Validation Support

Lifecycle documentation and engineering support based on project risk and the owner's quality system, including URS, functional and design specifications, traceability, FAT/SAT support, commissioning, and IQ/OQ documentation consistent with GAMP 5 principles.

Retrofits & Capital Projects

Brownfield assessments, equipment replacements, capacity expansions, and control-system migrations planned around operating facilities. Services can include field verification, phased design, shutdown planning, construction administration, startup support, and turnover documentation.

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Plant and Facility Work near West Chester, PA

Sterile Products Non-Sterile Products Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Vaccines & Biologics Advanced Therapies Laboratories

Local and Project Context near West Chester, PA

Six US Offices
Project teams work from six US offices: West Chester PA (headquarters), Columbus OH, Chicago IL, Rochester NY, Durham NC, and Denver CO. That footprint supports site visits, construction support, and commissioning across the country.
PE-Licensed in 21 States
LAPORTE Professional Engineers are licensed in 21 US states. Deliverables are stamped and sealed for permitting, insurance, and regulatory review wherever the facility is located.
Sector-Specific Engineering
LAPORTE engineers cGMP pharmaceutical manufacturers and laboratories across process, MEP, electrical, and automation disciplines. Process and facility design, cleanroom MEP, clean utilities, power, and automation are supported by lifecycle documentation, URS through IQ/OQ, consistent with GAMP5 and the owner's quality system.
Regulated-Industry Documentation
Work is built around the codes and documentation these facilities run under, from NEC and NFPA to FDA, USDA, and cGMP requirements, so deliverables hold up to permitting and audit review.

Engineering Leadership

Photo of Nate Kocher, P.E.
Nate Kocher, P.E.
Partner, Director of Electrical and Automation Engineering
LAPORTE • West Chester, PA

Engineering and management consultant with 15+ years of work in control systems, power distribution and systems integration for food, beverage and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

  • P.E. Licensed in 21 States
  • Penn State, B.S. Electrical Engineering
  • West Chester University, MBA
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Photo of Keith Morgart, P.E.
Keith Morgart, P.E.
Electrical and Automation Engineer
LAPORTE • Greater Pittsburgh, PA

Electrical power and controls engineer whose work includes power distribution, motor controls and code compliance for industrial and commercial facilities.

  • P.E. Licensed Professional Engineer
  • University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, B.S. Electrical Engineering
  • NEC, NFPA and IEEE standards
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Representative Project Work

pet food • multidiscipline
Project need: A pet food manufacturer required engineering design for a new 370,000 sq ft greenfield production facility ($315M total constructed cost).
LAPORTE scope: LAPORTE provided preliminary and detailed engineering for MEP, automation, instrumentation, and process. Scope included 45 HVAC units, ammonia refrigeration with micro-charging, air compressors, boilers, 40 MBTU cooling tower, chiller skids (2,300 TR), and wastewater treatment. Services included procurement, construction administration, startup, and commissioning with a team of 35.
Outcome: The greenfield facility was designed and constructed as a fully integrated production plant.
food & beverage • automation
Project need: A nutrition company required engineering for a greenfield whey protein plant ($800M total constructed cost) including receiving, heat treatment, filtration, and drying systems.
LAPORTE scope: LAPORTE provided project management, preliminary and detailed engineering design for process and automation, design of automation architecture (50+ control panels, networks, operator stations, control room), procurement support, and commissioning (IQ/OQ/PQ). Scope included HTST heat treatment, disc stack centrifuges, membrane filtration (UF/NF/RO), crystallization, evaporation, spray drying, and CIP.
Outcome: The greenfield whey protein plant was designed and commissioned.
pharmaceutical • multidiscipline
Project need: A national research organization required a new Biologics Manufacturing Centre with biological containment level CL2 for vaccine candidate production (5,000 m², $126M total constructed cost).
LAPORTE scope: LAPORTE provided engineering and construction supervision for the new facility including two cell culture suites (500L and 2,000L), purification by chromatography, vial filling, secondary packaging, warehouse, offices, mechanical/electrical rooms, and QC laboratory. The facility was designed in accordance with GMP requirements.
Outcome: The Biologics Manufacturing Centre was completed and designed for vaccine production.

Project Questions

What pharmaceutical engineering services does LAPORTE provide?
LAPORTE supports facility and process planning, cleanrooms, clean and process utilities, electrical distribution, instrumentation, controls, automation, construction support, commissioning, and validation documentation. Scope is matched to the product, process, facility, and owner's quality system.
Can LAPORTE support GAMP 5 automation and validation?
Yes. LAPORTE can develop automation deliverables and validation documentation using a risk-based lifecycle consistent with GAMP 5 principles. Typical deliverables include requirements, functional and design specifications, traceability, test protocols, and FAT/SAT or IQ/OQ support.
Does LAPORTE design clean utility systems?
Yes. LAPORTE engineers utility generation, storage, distribution, and points of use for systems such as purified water, water for injection, clean steam, process gases, compressed air, CIP, and SIP. Final design criteria are established with the owner and quality team.
Can LAPORTE engineer pharmaceutical facility retrofits?
Yes. LAPORTE supports both greenfield facilities and renovations in operating plants. Brownfield work can include field verification, phasing, temporary services, shutdown planning, equipment replacement, control migration, construction administration, and startup support.
How does LAPORTE coordinate multidisciplinary pharmaceutical projects?
LAPORTE coordinates process, architectural, mechanical, electrical, automation, and validation requirements within one project team. This helps align equipment, utilities, room classifications, power, controls, documentation, and construction sequencing around a common design basis.

Engineering support in nearby areas

Engineering support for West Chester, PA

LAPORTE Consultants
Suite 200, 158 West Gay Street
West Chester, PA 19382
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