The Pennsylvania, U.S.-headquartered healthcare factory, TekniPlex, is expanding its production of medical tubing extrusion lines along with downstream equipment in its facility in Zeta Industrial Park in Cartago Province. 

According to the company, their expansion will boost its manufacturing capacity adding approximately 40,000 square feet of combined assembly and warehousing space.

“For years, our Costa Rica facility has exemplified the advanced materials science and processing capabilities for which TekniPlex Healthcare has become known worldwide,” said Chris Qualters, CEO of TekniPlex Healthcare. “The current investment and expansion project shows our commitment to continuing to advance our products and provide exemplary customer service supporting our mission of improving patient outcomes.”

For the initial phase, the new medical tubing extrusion equipment will be installed in a clean room environment at the existing facility. 

The continuous closed-loop feedback extrusion system will help drive tighter tolerances at high manufacturing speeds, allowing TekniPlex to increase its medical tubing and profile capacity amid a growing medical device components market.

The expansion will help further improve TekniPlex Healthcare’s business continuity capabilities by building upon existing medical tubing manufacturing operations in the U.S., Mexico, Europe, and China.

The investment and expansion at its Cartago plant will build upon its ability to produce and deliver complex medical device assemblies that meet stringent requirements. 

Notably, the project will double TekniPlex Healthcare’s capacity for micro-extrusions, quad tubes, thermally bonded para tubing, and advanced multilayer coextrusions for complex drug delivery applications.

The project will also allow TekniPlex to move warehoused inventory from an off-site location to a newly constructed building adjacent to its current facility. 

This centralization will improve workflow and pave the way for an additional planned expansion in the coming years. 

Part of this new space will be apportioned for expanded assembly capacity and capabilities, a nod to growing market demands for premium medical device components.

The company reports over 7,000 employees worldwide. They are actively hiring wide engineering positions in innovation centers, as well as roles in manufacturing and distribution and corporate offices such as operations, production, customer service, supply chain, marketing, sales, and more. People interested in applying for a job vacancy should visit the company's careers website.

Even though new businesses are creating jobs, the unemployment rate remains at 10.6%, according to the National Employment Survey. The data recorded from January to March 2023, shows that there are more than 249,000 people without registered jobs. Of these, 129,000 are women, making up 51% of unemployed people in the country.

TekniPlex is one of many international firms investing in Costa Rica. Recently, the Hampshire, U.K- headquartered Fyffes, a fruit and fresh produce company, opened a packhouse in Heredia Province.

---------------
What have you heard about expats looking for a job in Costa Rica? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments news@amcostarica.com