St. Jude Medical Inc. on September 19 announced plans to expand its operations in Puerto Rico. St. Jude Medical recently purchased a facility in Arecibo's Santana Industrial Park, which will allow the company to increase its Puerto Rico operations by 30 percent and create up to 1,200 new jobs within the next three years.
The facility is expected to begin operating by mid-year 2008. Initially, St. Jude Medical in Arecibo will produce cardiac rhythm management devices, including pacemakers and pacing leads, which are currently produced at the company's Caguas plant. In addition, St. Jude Medical plans to begin manufacturing implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and their corresponding high voltage leads at the Arecibo site at a later date.
The Caguas site will continue to manufacture mechanical heart valves and Angio-Seal vascular closure devices, and also is expected to add new product lines in the future.
"St. Jude Medical's success in Puerto Rico over the past 20 years has been the result of our local team's commitment to upholding the highest standards for quality and manufacturing excellence," said Daniel J. Starks, St. Jude Medical chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Quality is our top priority because our devices are life-saving for many thousands of patients around the world."
St. Jude Medical began operations in Puerto Rico with 25 employees at its current Caguas facility in 1987. The original 23,000-square-foot plant, which manufactured mechanical heart valves, has evolved with the company's continuous development of new cardiovascular products, tripling its size and expanding its scope to manufacture more than 220 models of cardiovascular and cardiac rhythm management products that are exported to countries around the world.
"St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico, B. V. employs some of the most advanced technologies and talented people available in our industry to produce top quality medical devices and products. The expansion plans we unveiled today will further enhance the competitiveness of our operations on the island," said Angel L. Ortiz, general manager of St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico, B.V., who currently oversees Puerto Rico operations in both Arecibo and Caguas.
In addition to this expansion, in January 2007 St. Jude Medical opened a sales office in Caguas. This office has specially trained representatives who provide sales, service and technical support to assist physicians, nursing staffs, hospitals and patients using St. Jude Medical's products in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.
About St. Jude Medical
St. Jude Medical is dedicated to making life better for cardiac, neurological and chronic pain patients worldwide through excellence in medical device technology and services. The company has five major focus areas that include: cardiac rhythm management, atrial fibrillation, cardiac surgery, cardiology and neuromodulation. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., St. Jude Medical employs approximately 12,000 people worldwide.
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