A new medical device company is opening in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada and is bringing with it more than 200 jobs.
Tornado Medical Systems – a spinoff of Toronto-based Sentinelle Medical Inc. – will use its Thunder Bay facility to research, develop, market and sell diagnostic imaging equipment which is designed to provide earlier detection and better treatment of various types of cancer.
The company, which is partnering with the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute, will likely be headquartered on Munro Street, and will employ 50 professionals within the first 18 months.
The workforce is expected to top 200 by the end of 2013.
The payroll includes spots for engineers, software developers, executives, accounting and sales, shipping and administration, as well as production roles like quality assurance, inventory and supplier management.
At the announcement Tuesday at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, Sentinelle CEO Cameron Piron says he expects Tornado “to really revolutionize the health-care industry. Tornado will be developing imaging technologies that are going to improve cancer care,” he says. “It‘s going to provide better access for this incredible . . . technology, and will be the first to realize the true power of optical imaging care.
“These technologies will be integrated to provide better clinical care solutions, and first focus on conquering pelvic cancers – colorectal, prostate, ovarian, cervical cancers. That‘ll be a world first, and it‘ll be a service provided right here in Thunder Bay.”
Piron says the company chose Thunder Bay for Tornado‘s location because of the talent base, the availability of “world-class” facilities such as the hospital, and what he called an “interesting MRI cluster” forming between Thunder Bay, Winnipeg and Minneapolis. The city, he says, was also welcoming to the company, and worked to ensure the deal got done.
Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Corporation CEO Steve Demmings says Tornado will have a major economic impact on the city. “We anticipate this partnership will lead to further economic growth in Thunder Bay and the region, and direct and indirect jobs, and ongoing, exciting business development opportunities,” he says.
Sentinelle was formed five years ago by the Sunnybrook Hospital Research Team – Piron worked there as an engineer – and now employs about 130 people. The company has partnered with such companies as General Electric, Siemens and Toshiba, and is recognized as a world leader in breast and prostate magnetic resonance imaging technology.