With this article, we will begin posting a semi-monthly online wrap-up of Industrial Leadership, Expansions, and Mergers and Acquisitions short news items of interest to our readers. If you have news items that should be included in this category, please feel free to send them to the editor, Beth G. Sisk, at
People News
Tegra Medical, Franklin, MA, has promoted Walter Gacek to Vice President of Business Development, where he will be responsible for all sales and marketing activities.
Resonetics, Nashua, NH, which provides laser micromachining solutions and systems for medical device and diagnostic manufacturing, has named Tom Burns as Chief Executive Officer.
Altura Medical, Inc., San Clemente, CA, has appointed G. Ray Martin, PhD, as President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors.
Blue Medical, Helmond, The Netherlands, a global medical device company has appointed Noël Coopmans as new CEO. Former CEO and founder of the company, Ronald A.M. Horvers, will continue to serve as CFO and CTO.
Contour Energy Systems, Inc., (Azusa, CA) has appointed Louis E. Lupo as President and CEO to pursue opportunities for the company’s market-leading Lithium/Carbon Fluoride (Li/CFx) battery technology.
Flambeau, Inc., Baraboo, WI, has hired Tom Star as Vice President of Sales & Marketing of its Medical Markets Group where he will concentrate on contract medical manufacturing applications.
Expansions
Cook Medical officially opened its Polymer Technology Canton plant in Canton, OH, a new $19 million, 60,000 sq. ft. PTFE tubing manufacturing facility built on a remediated brownfield site. The plant will provide a variety of tubing for use in medical devices manufactured by Cook.
Millstone Medical Outsourcing, Fall River, MA, will expand its Memphis, TN, operations to a new facility with 150,000 square feet of operational space for advanced mechanical inspection, world-class loaner kit processing, innovative bone/tissue storage, cutting-edge packaging services, and distribution.
SteriPack, Clara, Ireland, plans to open its first US plant in Lakeland, FL, in October pending ISO 13485 certification. Its new 40,000 sq. ft. facility with a Class 100,000 cleanroom will specialize in flexible medical packaging and contract manufacturing service solutions.
National Instruments, Austin, TX, which began operations in Malaysia in 2009, will significantly expand its research and development center in Penang. Over the next five years, the company plans to recruit an additional 250 engineers making its Penang facility the largest R&D center for National Instruments outside of the U.S.
Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA, Varian Medical Systems is establishing a subsidiary in Seoul, South Korea, to support the launch and rollout of the company’s TrueBeam linear accelerator treatment system while, over time, providing a local base for all the company's business units.
Mergers/Acquisitions/Collaborations
Teleflex, Inc., Limerick, PA, signed a definitive agreement to acquire all of the assets of LMA International N.V., a maker of laryngeal masks and other innovative products used in anesthesia and emergency care. In addition, Teleflex has completed its previously announced sale of its OEM Orthopedics business to Tecomet, Wilmington, MA, a contract manufacturing, engineering, and metal fabrication technology company.
Smiths Medical, St. Paul, MN, a global medical device manufacturer, has signed an agreement with Nexus Medical, LLC, Lenexa, KS, to distribute the company’s family of Nexus TKO® anti-reflux needle free valves and extension sets in the U.S. and Canada.
Helix Medical, LLC, Carpinteria, CA, a global manufacturer in the medical device and healthcare industries, will acquire a 50% share as of January 2013 in Cambus Medical, a manufacturer of high precision hypotubes and micro-component solutions for advanced catheter systems. Cambus Medical operates in Spiddal, Ireland.
ConMed Corp., Utica, NY, a medical technology company, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Viking Systems, Inc., La Jolla, CA, a developer, manufacturer and marketer of 3D and 2D visualization solutions for complex minimally invasive surgery.
Vascular Solutions, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, a medical device company that focuses on developing clinical solutions for coronary and peripheral vascular procedures, has acquired the Venture wire control catheter, a deflectable-tip catheter used to provide guidewire directional control in challenging coronary and peripheral interventional procedures, from St. Jude Medical, Inc., St. Paul, MN.
Getinge AB, Getinge, Sweden, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire theTherapeutic Support Systems business of US-based Kinetic Concepts, Inc., (KCI), San Antonio, TX. Getinge specializes in pressure ulcer prevention and healing in many European markets, while KCI's primary business includes a portfolio of specialty therapeutic beds, mattress replacement systems and other support surfaces and patient mobility devices.
The National University of Ireland, Galway, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a leading Chinese research institute, the Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biotechnology and Medicine (TJAB) and a major Chinese medical technology company, China Nucleon Medical Technology Group (CNPK). TJAB is a new $173 million research facility in Northern China. The MOU encourages the exchange of researchers and academic information, and the development of collaborative research projects.
Contract manufacturer PartnerTech AB, Vellinge, Sweden, and Dignitana AB, Lund, Sweden, a company focusing on medical devices in the area of medical cooling, have signed a framework agreement for the development, manufacturing, and supply of the DigniCap™System, a patented scalp cooling system which prevents chemotherapy-induced hair loss.
Siemens Healthcare, Malvern, PA, has agreed to buy nearly all of the assets of Penrith Corp., Plymouth Meeting, PA, a manufacturer of integrated ultrasound imaging systems. Through this acquisition, Siemens will expand its diagnostic capabilities.
Royal Philips Electronics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, announced an exclusive distribution agreement for the CorPath® 200 System from Corindus Vascular Robotics, Natick, MA. The system is the world's first robotic-assisted system for the minimally invasive treatment of coronary artery disease using percutaneous coronary intervention.
Tornier N.V., Amsterdam, The Netherlands, which makes orthopedics products for extremities including the shoulder and ankle, is acquiring OrthoHelix Surgical Designs, Medina, OH, which manufactures specialty implantable plates and screws.
MATHESON, Basking Ridge, NJ, a source for industrial, medical, specialty and electronic gases, has acquired a majority share of RASIRC, Inc., San Diego, CA. RASIRC, whose products purify and deliver ultra-pure liquids and gases, will continue to operate as an independent corporation.
