Today, VistaMed, the leading Irish catheter and extrusion provider to the global medical device industry, announced the creation of 200 new jobs at the official opening of its new state-of-the-art Research and Development facility in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim. The announcement is part of a new investment programme of more than €10million, supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland.

This will bring the total number of jobs at the medical device company to 525 comprising a mix of positions, from engineering staff to product builders. VistaMed is also expanding its current manufacturing facility in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim by a further 45,000 square foot.

Recruitment for the 200 positions is ongoing with 37 of these jobs now in place. All positions are expected to be filled by the end of 2018.

Welcoming the announcement in Co. Leitrim today, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD said: “Today we see the evidence that a rural county such as Leitrim can be home to successful international companies like VistaMed and can provide them with the community, infrastructure and resources that they need to thrive and grow their businesses. To announce 200 jobs for an Irish-owned, highly innovative, global supplier of medical technology out of County Leitrim, sums up why we can be ambitious – indeed, must be ambitious – in our plans for regional development and job creation. This is a further sign of a momentum for job creation in our regions following recent regional jobs announcements” .

The new investment programme is in response to increased demand in the global medical device market for services provided by VistaMed.

Managing Director of VistaMed Patrick Mulholland said: “VistaMed was founded on being a solution provider for technically challenging Catheter and Extrusion products for a worldwide medical device market. This new Research & Development facility will allow us to further enhance the rapid project ‘turnaround’ times currently experienced by VistaMed’s global customer base. Combined with the addition of sophisticated equipment, this will enable us to continue to offer a world class service to the global medical device industry and expand our talented technical resources”.

The 45,000 square foot expansion of the Carrick-on-Shannon facility includes 22,000 square foot of cleanroom. This will facilitate the growing demand for diverse braided catheter systems, together with the expansion of the existing area providing thermoplastic extrusions which is recognised as best-in-class for the stringent catheter tubing requirements for today’s challenging minimally invasive applications.

Tom Kelly, Head of Division, Industrial, Lifesciences & Consumer, Enterprise Ireland said: “Ireland is home to leading world-class medical technology companies like VistaMed who will be joining us on our Lifesciences Trade Mission to the US in September. The medtech sector in Ireland has evolved and grown dramatically over the last two decades and employs close to 27,000 people. Enterprise Ireland is committed to continued growth and creating jobs in this dynamic and innovative sector”.