Largo Medical Manufacturer Sports New Growth

A Largo company focused on a niche market is enjoying the fruits of its smaller scale efforts.

ConMed Linvatec, a medical manufacturer of surgical products, recently invested $2.8 million to renovate a 20,000-square-foot facility on its campus to expand its surgical training efforts, which attract surgeons from around the globe on a continual basis. The expansion will create jobs for clinicians interested in training the docs on the use of Linvatec's orthopedic tools in the new facility.

Danielle Ruiz, group manager for clinical and educational services for Conmed Linvatec, attributes the company's growth to the Linvatec branch's focus on marketing its orthopedic products to sports medicine professionals.

"We invested in new product development," says Ruiz. "Sports medicine specifically and in real terms arthroscopic surgery. At this location in Largo, we manufacture orthopedic and powered surgical instruments and products. We're very specific. This has resulted in jobs across the country and moved a lot of manufacturing jobs to Largo.

Ruiz says the new facility will result in a handful of new jobs. "We're going to need clinical people," she says. "People who understand orthopedic procedures and feel comfortable training others."

Ruiz says the company is committed to investing in its employees as well. "Much of our growth can also be attributed to investing in internal employees through grants we got from the state, thanks to Pinellas Economic Development, which helped us attain those grants."

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Source: Danielle Ruiz, Conmed Linvatec