BeamOne has Grand Opening at Costa Rica Plant
San Jose, Costa Rica, January 20, 2009: BeamOne LLC, which specializes in electron beam sterilization services for medical and pharmaceutical companies, today inaugurated its new plant in Costa Rica. BeamOne’s new facility allows Costa Rica’s medical manufacturing companies to sterilize their products locally and then ship to the rest of the world. The company invested $5 million in the new plant which began operations at the end of January and is located in the Coyol Free Trade Zone in Alajuela.
The Grand Opening celebration was attended by the President of Costa Rica - Dr. Óscar Arias Sánchez, the Minister of Foreign Trade – Mr. Marco Vinicio Ruiz, the COO of BeamOne - Glenn Thibault, the Managing Director of BeamOne - Larry Gabele, and others who were instrumental in bringing BeamOne’s enterprise to Costa Rica.
According to CINDE, Costa Rica’s Economic Development Organization, the opening of BeamOne’s operation will provide Costa Rica with a competitive advantage in attracting medical manufacturers to locate in that country. The presence of local sterilization services will enhance Costa Rica’s market advantage over other countries such as Puerto Rico and The Dominican Republic.
“The presence of a local supplier of sterilization services such as BeamOne positions Costa Rica as a site where disposable medical manufacturers can accomplish all steps in the production process, from design and manufacture through sterilization and distribution to end users. Equally as important, the arrival of BeamOne sends an international message that our country has a sizeable medical device manufacturing presence comprised of highly renowned businesses which are operating successfully in Costa Rica,” explains Ms. Gabriella Llobet, General Director of CINDE.
Until now, companies who did not have their own on-site sterilization capability have had to send their products to other countries for sterilization. This practice increases both shipping costs as well as delivery time. With the opening of BeamOne’s electron beam sterilization service, the entire process can be completed in one day, and the cost savings to manufacturers can be enormous.
Costa Rica’s Minister of Foreign Trade, Mr. Marco Vinicio Ruiz, added that with the installation of this plant, the country can increase its range of services, thus clearing the way for new market segments.
According to statistics relative to the businesses in Free Trade Zones, the service sector has been increasing in recent years, now accounting for 34% of total employees in these zones. Minister Vinicio Ruiz further commented that the country is dedicated to improving the competitive edge of those companies located in the Coyol Free Trade Zone so that it becomes a strategic success in the development of Costa Rica.
According to Glenn Thibault, COO of BeamOne, the decision to open the new plant in Costa Rica was based upon the growing disposable medical device industry in that country as well as the assistance provided to BeamOne by Costa Rica during the decision-making process.
“It was easy for us to see that local sterilization services would be a substantial assistance to the continued growth of the medical sector in Costa Rica. Given that medical manufacturers would see immediate savings in both time and expense, we concluded that our business should grow very rapidly. We have the ability to double our capacity in the country as additional companies and product lines are realized,” adds Thibault.
The plant is Costa Rica uses completely automated technology. The operations will employ 25 people when running at full capacity.About BeamOne
BeamOne provides sterilization services to the medical device and pharmaceutical industries exclusively, using environmentally superior electron beam technology. Formed in 2004, BeamOne currently has 60 employees, over 120 customers, and provides services on a 7/24 basis at three service centers in the U.S. and at BeamOne’s newest facility in Alajuela, Costa Rica, which became operational in January, 2009.
| BeamOne Contact: | CINDE Contact: |
| Susie Perlman Director, Customer Relations (303) 320-6777 marketing@beam-one.com |
Andrea Centeno |
4275 Executive Square, Suite 1040
La Jolla, CA 92037
Phone: 858 587-1985 | Fax: 858 587-0120