Today, VistaMed, the leading Irish catheter and extrusion provider to the
global medical device industry, announced the creation of 200 new jobs at
the official opening of its new state-of-the-art Research and Development
facility in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim. The announcement is part of a
new investment programme of more than €10million, supported by the
Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland.
This will bring the total number of jobs at the medical device company to
525 comprising a mix of positions, from engineering staff to product
builders. VistaMed is also expanding its current manufacturing facility in
Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim by a further 45,000 square foot.
Recruitment for the 200 positions is ongoing with 37 of these jobs now in
place. All positions are expected to be filled by the end of 2018.
Welcoming the announcement in Co. Leitrim today, the Minister for Jobs,
Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD said: “Today we see
the evidence that a rural county such as Leitrim can be home to successful
international companies like VistaMed and can provide them with the
community, infrastructure and resources that they need to thrive and grow
their businesses. To announce 200 jobs for an Irish-owned, highly
innovative, global supplier of medical technology out of County Leitrim,
sums up why we can be ambitious – indeed, must be ambitious - in our plans
for regional development and job creation. This is a further sign of a
momentum for job creation in our regions following recent regional jobs
announcements” .
The new investment programme is in response to increased demand in the
global medical device market for services provided by VistaMed.
Managing Director of VistaMed Patrick Mulholland said: “VistaMed was
founded on being a solution provider for technically challenging Catheter
and Extrusion products for a worldwide medical device market. This new
Research & Development facility will allow us to further enhance the rapid
project ‘turnaround’ times currently experienced by VistaMed’s global
customer base. Combined with the addition of sophisticated equipment, this
will enable us to continue to offer a world class service to the global
medical device industry and expand our talented technical resources”.
The 45,000 square foot expansion of the Carrick-on-Shannon facility
includes 22,000 square foot of cleanroom. This will facilitate the growing
demand for diverse braided catheter systems, together with the expansion of
the existing area providing thermoplastic extrusions which is recognised as
best-in-class for the stringent catheter tubing requirements for today’s
challenging minimally invasive applications.
Tom Kelly, Head of Division, Industrial, Lifesciences & Consumer,
Enterprise Ireland said: “Ireland is home to leading world-class medical
technology companies like VistaMed who will be joining us on our
Lifesciences Trade Mission to the US in September. The medtech sector in
Ireland has evolved and grown dramatically over the last two decades and
employs close to 27,000 people. Enterprise Ireland is committed to
continued growth and creating jobs in this dynamic and innovative sector”.
Notes to Editor
About VistaMed Ltd.
VistaMed, a Freudenberg Medical joint venture company, is a leading
extrusion and catheter provider to the medical device sector worldwide. The
company was founded in 1999 and has two medical manufacturing operations in
Ireland – Carrick-on-Shannon & Rooskey, Co Leitrim. Products produced by
VistaMed include PTFE-lined guide catheters, steerable catheters, balloon
catheters, endoscopic catheters, ablation catheters, urological catheters,
micro perfusion pain management catheters as well as other ancillary
devices such as introducers and dilators. Working with medical
thermoplastics such as PEEK, Polyurethane, Polycarbonate, nylon, VistaMed
offers single lumen, multi lumen, tri-layer, co extrusion, micro extrusion,
bump, braided and wire-reinforced tubing for complex medical catheter
systems. ISO 13485 Certified and FDA registered.