Helix Medical Goes Latin

Helix Medical LLC officials celebrate the grand opening of their newest medical manufacturing facility located in the Coyol Free Zone and Business Park in Alajuela, Costa Rica, just outside of San José. The Coyol Free Zone is considered the largest and most modern high-tech business park in Central America, located 10 minutes from the international airport, and 1-½ hours from the port.

The engineering staff at Helix Medical supplies contract-manufacturing services to medical device OEMs worldwide and this facility is the company’s ninth operation and the first in Latin America. Services offered at Helix Medical

Costa Rica include design and development, engineering services, silicone extrusion, silicone and thermoplastic molding, assembly and sub-assembly, custom packaging, and full validation capabilities.

The company’s inauguration event was hosted by Costa Rica Minister of Science and Technology, Alejandro Cruz; CINDE´s Investment Director, Irving Soto; President and CEO of Helix Medical, Dr. Jorg Schneewind; and the Managing Partner of Freudenberg & Co., Dr. Martin Stark.

“We are honored to have Minister Cruz and many other business and community leaders here with us today to celebrate the grand opening of our new facility,” says Jorg Schneewind, president and CEO of Helix Medical. “The pro-business environment, skilled workforce, and strategic location made Costa Rica a natural choice for our company.”

“We are very pleased that Helix Medical has decided to open a manufacturing facility in our country. This confirms Costa Rica´s high standards of quality and its sophisticated workforce, which allow medical companies to perform complex manufacturing,” says Alejandro Cruz, Costa Rica’s Minister of Science and Technology. CINDE’s Investment Director Irving Soto added, “we are deeply satisfied with the investment of renowned medical companies such as Helix which contribute to the growth and consolidation of the Life Sciences sector. This sector has grown from eight companies in 2000 to 41 companies in 2011; multi-national ventures have created employment for 13,561 Costa Ricans. This number is six times higher than in 2000, when only 1,500 people worked in the sector.”