A Portsmouth-based company has announced plans to move to Suffolk and expand its manufacturing and distribution operations.

Kerma Medical Products manufactures, assembles and packages a number of soft-goods products for medical care, ranging from burn dressings to fillable ice bags. The company began in 1991 as a supplier to the U.S. government.

“Kerma appreciates the support they have experienced over the years from the city of Portsmouth, but we are excited to move our corporate offices to a larger facility in Suffolk,” Joe Ruebel, president of Kerma Medical Products, said in a city press release. “As we transition to our new home, we anticipate continued growth and success and look forward to working with the city of Suffolk.”

Kerma Medical is a veteran- and minority-owned business, according to the city press release.

Only three years after its opening, Kerma was faced with extinction after the government canceled all its direct supplier contracts, according to a company history on its website. The company chose to start over again, supplying its products to hospitals rather than to the government.

“Kerma Medical is a welcome addition to Suffolk’s thriving manufacturing and distribution industry,” Mayor Linda T. Johnson said. “We are happy that Kerma chose to stay and expand in the region and selected Suffolk for their long-term growth.”

The company will begin operations from a new, 100,000-square-foot facility at 215 Suburban Drive this year.