Onovexa LLC has announced plans to invest $36.2 million in buildings and advanced equipment in Humacao, creating more than 200 jobs with an estimated annual payroll of $10.6 million.
The news is just the latest announcement in a string of investing developments in manufacturing in Puerto Rico.
Onevexa produces medical-grade sanitary disposable wipes, a range of products which were classed as essential during the COVID pandemic, and are often considered part of healthcare or biotech industries. The healthcare sector is a particular strength in Puerto Rico manufacturing.
Onovexa
The company, which is based in Puerto Rico, is a subsidiary of Olein Recovery Corporation, a Puerto Rican company that specializes in recycling chemical resources into chemical products. The business produces white-label goods and a wide range of consumer products shipped to 50 countries around the world. Onovexa is a new venture for the company. Its manufacturing facility, a 135,500-square-foot plant, is being built at the site of the former Novartis pharmaceutical complex. The Swiss company closed its Humacao site in 2019.
“For us at Onovexa, this investment represents much more than the establishment of a new operation; it reaffirms our confidence in Puerto Rico, its talent and its ability to compete globally,” said Jorge “Tato” González-Camp, CEO of Olein Group.
“As a 100% Puerto Rican company, we are committed to the development of local industry with vision, innovation and a long-term perspective,” he said.
Onovexa will produce 16 product lines, including absorbent pads and disinfectants as well as consumer goods such as Loofy pet pads and TuTu baby wipes. Annual sales are estimated at $100 million, according to Governor Gonzalez-Colon.
Onovexa and Olein are proud of their environmental records and their focus on sustainability.
Manufacturing investments
Onovexa’s investment joins other recent announcements, including Eli Lilly‘s $1.2 billion expansion and modernization of its Lilly del Caribe manufacturing site in Carolina and Amgen‘s $650 million expansion of its biologics manufacturing facility in Juncos. InvestPR reported that in fiscal year 2025 Puerto Rico secured $476 million in capital investment and 3,186 new jobs across manufacturing sectors including biosciences, aerospace, defense, technology, and medical devices.
While in the past manufacturing in Puerto Rico has been of questionable benefit to local communities, the new investments seem to be more locally rooted. Onovexa, for example, is a Puerto Rican company. Stateside and multinational companies building or expanding facilities in Puerto Rico appear to be producing more local jobs and higher wages, rather than washing profits through Puerto Rico for tax benefits.
“This project in Humacao allows us not only to expand our manufacturing capabilities but also to actively contribute to economic growth, the creation of quality jobs and the strengthening of Puerto Rico as a strategic production hub for international markets,” González-Camp added.
When manufacturing plants open in a community with significant numbers of jobs, especially at good wages, the effects are felt throughout the community. Workers living in the town spend money in the town and the manufacturers are likely to invest in infrastructure that benefits neighbors.
Governor Gonzalez-Colon said in her press release on the announcement that “it demonstrates that the island continues to solidify its position as a leading destination for investment and advanced manufacturing in the United States.”
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