Helix Medical, a Freudenberg Company, Opens a New Manufacturing Facility in Costa Rica

WEINHEIM, Germany, Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Helix Medical, LLC, a global supplier of medical components and devices, opened its newest facility in Alajuela, Costa Rica, just outside of San Jose.

The new 17,300 square foot operation presents a $4M investment and is expected to employ some 60 people by next year. It is located in the Coyol Free Zone which is considered the largest and most modern high-tech business park in Central America, located just 10 minutes from the international airport and 1 ½ hours from the port.

Helix Medical supplies contract manufacturing services to medical device OEM's worldwide.  This facility is the Company's ninth operation worldwide, and the first in Latin America.  Helix Medical Costa Rica provides design and development, engineering, project management, manufacturing, assembly, packaging and validation services.  Manufacturing capabilities include silicone extrusion and thermoplastic and silicone molding.

"We have identified the medical technology as one of our focus business areas.  Adding a location in Costa Rica is an important step in growing our manufacturing capabilities in this market segment," said Dr. Mohsen Sohi, Speaker of the Management Board of the Freudenberg Group.

The Helix Medical Costa Rica inauguration event was hosted by Mr. Alejandro Cruz, Costa Rica Minister of Science and Technology; Irving Soto, Costa Rica Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE) Director; Dr. Martin Stark, Member of the Management Board of the Freudenberg Group; and Dr. 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, and we are excited about being a part of this country's growing medical device community," said Dr. Jorg Schneewind.  Alejandro Cruz, Costa Rica's Minister of Science and Technology stated, "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."

About Helix Medical: Helix Medical, a division of the Freudenberg Group, is a global custom manufacturer for the medical device and healthcare industries with 9 manufacturing operations worldwide. Medical manufacturing capabilities include design and development, silicone and thermoplastic molding and extrusion, complex catheter systems, assembly, packaging, and engineering services.  Helix Medical operates FDA-registered medical device facilities, certified ISO 13485 with Class 7 & 8 cleanrooms.  Established in 1984, Helix Medical currently manufactures in California, Massachusetts, Costa Rica, Germany, Ireland, and China.

For further information, please visit www.helixmedical.com.

About the Freudenberg Group: The Freudenberg Group is a family company offering its customers technically challenging product solutions and services. The Group is first and foremost a supplier specializing in seals and vibration control technology, nonwovens, filtration, lubricants, and release agents as well as mechatronic products. The end-user can find modern Freudenberg household products in the shops under the brand names of vileda®, O-Cedar® and Wettex®. For mid-size companies, in particular, Freudenberg develops software solutions and IT services. In 2011, the Freudenberg Group employed more than 37,000 people in 58 countries and generated sales of over 7.8 billion USD.

For further information, please visit www.freudenberg.us.

SOURCE Freudenberg Group