North America's Medical Device Manufacturing Capital, Tijuana, Announces New Industry Investments

Online, August 24, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Tijuana, Baja California -- New research on the medical device manufacturing industry by San Diego-based Crossborder Group Inc. has found that continued foreign investment in Tijuana has pushed the city's Second Quarter 2010 medical device industry employment up to a new high of 28,200 employees - a 4% increase over 2008, and confirmation that Tijuana has become North America's leader in medical device manufacturing employment. This news follows the recent unveiling of the Tijuana Economic Development Corporation's new campaign, "It's Time for Tijuana", at the June 2010 Medical Device and Manufacturing (MD&M) East show, in New York.

"The forty-plus medical device companies that have been expanding in Tijuana, like Greatbatch or Fisher & Paykel, have gained a significant competitive edge by being here - and that's what our new campaign highlights", notes Flavio Olivieri, Executive Director of the Tijuana Economic Development Corporation (or DEITAC, using its Spanish acronym). "It's about having a city that provides the elements that global companies from the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia need to thrive - from a large, highly skilled workforce, to lower-costs and quick access to markets. That's why we use the phrase, 'It's Time for Tijuana' - so executives get past the perceptions, and focus on the facts and experiences of companies that are here."

While over 40 medical device companies now call Tijuana home, one of the more recent global companies that has expanded in 2010 to take advantage of Tijuana's high-quality-but-lower-cost business environment is New Zealand-based medical device firm Fisher & Paykel. With their March 2010 announcement of a new 230,000 sq. ft. manufacturing operation in Tijuana, this world-class, multinational company expects to employ up to 800 employees in Tijuana by 2012. Such facility siting news is in addition to the expansion of major firms like Greatbatch, Inc., that first established its Tijuana operation in 2005. Earlier this year, Greatbatch announced a two-year expansion plan that will see their clean room space increase to 100,000 sq. ft., and employment increase by nearly 500 employees - a testament to the benefits their Tijuana operation offers. Yet another company in the medical and orthopedics industry is also expected to formally announce a new operation in Tijuana this fall.

In an effort to address the opportunity in Tijuana for those in the medical device industry, the Tijuana EDC, representatives from the Baja California Medical Device Cluster, and the State of Baja California have announced a Medical Device Supplier Day event starting with an Industrial Tour and an evening reception on Tuesday, September 7th, with a day-long program scheduled for Wednesday, September 8th. The event will feature a conference program, a medical sector trade show, and business matchmaking with executives from Medtronic, CareFusion, Greatbatch, Honeywell, and Sunrise Medical to name a few. "This event provides an excellent, cost-effective way for medical device suppliers to network with new prospects, as well as facilitate introductions for prospective buyers of suppliers in this specialized field," comments Olivieri of the Tijuana EDC.

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Tijuana's Medical Device Supplier Day 2010 will be held at the Tijuana Marriott Hotel, located on Boulevard Agua Caliente No. 11553, Tijuana, Baja California, starting with an Industry Cocktail Reception from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 7th, and the main day-long program from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 8th. For more information or to attend the event, please visit http://www.supplierday.net/, or call toll-free at 1-800-027-3351. For more information about the Tijuana-San Diego region and Tijuana's Medical Device Cluster, please contact the Tijuana Economic Development Corporation toll free from the U.S. at 1-888-TIJU-EDC, or visit the Tijuana EDC's website at http://www.tijuana-edc.com/.