NEWS RELEASE: Freudenberg Medical establishes second production facility in Costa Rica
$25 million investment to meet growing global demand for medical devices and precision components- Expansion to quadruple manufacturing footprint for high volume minimally invasive catheters
- Creation of 600 new jobs, fostering growth for local community
Coyol, Costa Rica, February 12th, 2024. Freudenberg Medical, a global contract design and manufacturing (CDMO) partner to the medical device and biopharma industry with facilities in key industry hubs across the Americas, Europe and Asia, announced it is to establish a second manufacturing site in Costa Rica. With this $25 million investment the company is expanding its technologies to deliver increasingly complex products to its global customer base.
“We are proud to be one of the first global CDMO partners in Costa Rica, having established our first production facility here more than 12 years ago,” said Dr. Mark Ostwald, CEO of Freudenberg Medical during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility. “This expansion strengthens our strategy of being close to our customers and offering them efficient solutions along the entire device lifecycle – including cost-effective manufacturing capabilities on a large scale.”
Freudenberg Medical’s new facility will become operational in the beginning of 2025. It will be dedicated to the assembly of high-volume minimally invasive catheters for electrophysiology, vascular and structural heart therapies and other medical devices that require high-precision manual assembly. In the first phase, the new facility will cover 50,000 square feet and house three ISO 7 cleanrooms. Within 3 years of opening, a further 50,000 square feet will be added, quadrupling Freudenberg Medical’s total footprint in Costa Rica.
The new facility will be in close proximity to the company’s existing 30,000 square feet manufacturing facility in the Coyol Free Zone. During 2025, the existing facility will become Freudenberg Medical’s specialized Costa Rica site for primary processing technologies including molding and extrusion of thermoplastics for medical applications while assembly operations will be moved to the new facility.
“The investment in this new site underlines Freudenberg Medical’s confidence in Costa Rica as an integral part of our global growth strategy,” said Róger Gómez, VP/General Manager of Freudenberg Medical in Costa Rica. “In the next three years we will triple the number of employees from the current 300 to over 900 team members. Committed to diversity and inclusion, we offer equal opportunities to all.” The two-story building will be barrier-free to meet the needs of people with impairments.
The new facility will be built to the highest environmental and energy efficiency standards. A company-owned PV solar power plant will generate the energy needed to operate the site. “This is another important step towards our goal of becoming a climate-neutral company by 2045,” said Dr. Tilman Krauch, CTO of the Freudenberg Group. “Since the beginning of our company 175 years ago, we have taken responsibility for the communities in which we are at home, as well as for our environment and a sustainable future.”
About Freudenberg Medical
Freudenberg Medical is an innovative partner for the design, development and manufacture of medical devices and components that play a critical role in a variety of medical and pharmaceutical applications. With 11 manufacturing operations and more than 3,000 associates worldwide, Freudenberg Medical offers a wide range of capabilities from complex catheters, hypotubes, needles, balloons, and coating solutions for minimally invasive products to precision molded components and biopharmaceutical tubing. www.freudenbergmedical.com
Freudenberg Medical is part of the Freudenberg Group, a global technology group that strengthens its customers and society long-term through forward-looking innovations. Together with its partners, customers and research institutions, the Freudenberg Group develops leading-edge technologies and excellent products and services for about 40 markets and for thousands of applications: seals, vibration control components, batteries and fuel cells, technical textiles, filters, cleaning technologies and products, specialty chemicals and medical products. Innovation strength, strong customer orientation, diversity, and team spirit are the cornerstones of the Group. The 175-year-old company lives by its core values: a commitment to excellence, reliability and pro-active, responsible action. In 2022, the Freudenberg Group employed over 51,000 people in around 60 countries worldwide and generated sales of more than €11.7 billion. For more information, please visit www.freudenberg.com.
The opinions expressed in this news release are the author’s only and do not necessarily reflect those of Medical Tubing + Extrusion or its employees.
