Specialty Silicone Fabricators to expand manufacturing facility

Aug 21 2009

Medical manufacturing is a bright spot in the U.S. economy, as evidenced by Specialty Silicone Fabricators, which is expanding into a new 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. The new facility is designed to meet the growing demand for silicone medical device components and support the manufacturing of new medical technologies such as combination products.

U.S.-owned Specialty Silicone Fabricators employs 300 people and has built a worldwide reputation for manufacturing highly specialized silicone medical components. While some medical manufacturing companies have moved to lower-wage countries in an effort to expand, SSF has based its growth strategy on the value of the knowledge, experience, and creativity of its highly skilled employees. That strategy is paying off as a global market increasingly seeks the company out for its proprietary silicone manufacturing capabilities.

This year alone, SSF will provide products and services to over 160 medical device customers in 17 countries, ranging from new startups to the Fortune 20.

The products include components that are used in hundreds of lifesaving devices such as shunts, pacemaker leads, and a device to hold the beating heart during surgery. Silicone membranes produced by SSF are used to grow islet cells that researchers believe may hold the cure for certain types of diabetes.