By: Deborah Johnson Wood
Rose Technologies Medical Manufacturing pioneered a process that encapsulates a thin wire in silicone to prevent silicone tubes from kinking and crushing. That's probably not something most people care about—unless the silicone tube is part of a medical device that can help us recover from illness or surgery, or enables us to live with a disability.
The silicone tubes Rose Technologies makes are components for catheters. The company's manufacturing method revolutionized the product and launched their business. Now, nine years later, they make 200 different medical components for finished goods manufacturers like ATEK Medical Manufacturing and Medtronic, they have 25 employees, and posted 2006 sales just under $2 million.
"We designed the process and the equipment," said Todd Grimm, president and founder. "That's really our strength—our ability to automate. That's how we keep business here in the states."
Four years ago the company moved to a 17,000-square-foot building at 1440 Front Street NW. Then, 18 months ago they bought the 12,000-square-foot building next door. They plan to move their "dirty processes," like engineering and the machine shop, over there.
The company currently operates two Class 10000 clean rooms, each about 1,000 square feet.
"Moving the other processes will add 3,000 to 5,000 square feet of clean room space to this facility," Grimm said. "It will be all 'clean rooms' and manufacturing."
Grimm expects to be manufacturing 15 new products soon, including an artificial lung for transplant patients who are waiting for a donor lung.
Source: Todd Grimm, Rose Technologies Medical Manufacturing
Deborah Johnson Wood is the Development News Editor for Rapid Growth. She can be reached at [email protected].
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