Greatbatch Medical to Construct New Orthopedics Facility

Greatbatch Medical announced today that it will construct an 80,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Fort Wayne, Ind. Total investment in the new facility will be more than $17 million. The company will relocate more than 100 jobs from neighboring Whitley County, and plans to create another 76 jobs.

“This significant investment reinforces Greatbatch Medical’s commitment as the definitive leader in designing and manufacturing critical technologies for our customers in the orthopaedic market,” said Mauricio Arellano, president of Greatbatch Medical. “This new facility will allow Greatbatch Medical to expand on existing partnerships with our customers, as we help them bring innovative and life enhancing technologies and procedures to orthopaedic patients everywhere.”

The facility will develop instruments for hip procedures and spine fixation, as well as fracture fixation implants and instrumentation for the largest orthopaedic medical device companies. The new facility will provide Greatbatch Medical with increased capabilities and capacity for future growth, company officials said.

“The State of Indiana has long been known for its excellence in the orthopaedic industry and Greatbatch Medical is proud to be a part of that legacy,” said Thomas J. Hook, president and CEO, Greatbatch, Inc. “Locating this facility in Northeast Indiana provides us with the ability to build upon our skilled workforce and position us for long-term growth.”

This is the third project Greatbatch Medical has deployed as part of an overall strategy to partner with orthopaedic device makers. In 2010, the company launched the first phase of an orthopaedic design center in Warsaw, Ind., to provide customers with rapid prototyping capabilities. The company also is also in the process of wrapping up a $6 million investment at its Indianapolis, Ind., manufacturing facility.

“The investments we continue to make in Indiana establishes an innovation hub from which Greatbatch Medical can partner with orthopaedic device makers from concept to production,” Arellano added.

Headquartered in Clarence, N.Y., Greatbatch Medical designs and manufactures medical devices for the cardiac, neurology, vascular and orthopedic markets.