The park in the San Isidro free zone not only has an accumulated investment of 5,000 million US dollars, but since 1998 in its infrastructure hosts the number one company in the manufacture of medical devices in the world.
In this park in the free zone, beyond the 254.4 million US dollars that the companies installed here have invested in 2020, is Medtronic, a company that produces 3,672 types of medical products in this nation.
During a visit to the company, Medtronic CEO of the Dominican Republic, Paolo Tolari, pointed out that the company generates 4,206 jobs, of which 3,137 are direct. Of these, about 300 are professional workers who are dedicated to administrative areas, while 70% of employees belong to the level of workers and about 20% are technical staff, with the projection that this percentage will continue to increase.
Annually, Medtronic has a production cost of $ 312 million, with a portfolio of medical products for sutures, surgery and other specialties.
The three pillars of this company are maintained in each of the branches present in the countries in which it operates, and the Dominican Republic is no exception. These are innovation, globalization and socialization.
From pacemakers to therapy products, Medtronic has built a product portfolio to provide technology, solutions and therapy for heart, vascular, respiratory, neurological and diabetic conditions.
For some Medtronic San Isidro employees, their work is valuable because it has a great impact on patients, prolonging health and life through medical products.
Staplers, skin applicators, ultrasound systems, manometers and surgical access ports are just some of the equipment that is also manufactured at Medtronic San Isidro, while there are devices manufactured for the treatment of hydrocephalus and some of these medical devices are used in specialties such as as neurology and otorhinolaryngology.
Pandemic operations
Medtronic’s current investment is $ 150 million, and while sales of some devices have declined due to the pandemic, others that are closely linked to COVID have increased.
During a tour of the San Isidro Free Zone Park with the National Council of Free Export Zones (CNZFE), Medtronic executives pointed out that all manufactured products are exported to the United States for sterilization and then shipped to other countries.
Competitive advantage
Paolo Tolari, who was accompanied by the executive director of CNZFE, Daniel Liranzo, stressed that Medtronic makes large investments in the country, because there is human talent here, focused on competition.
“The investment climate in the Dominican Republic is good. The public and private sectors are our allies. We go to them every time we have to manage something and things flow very well “, Tolari underlined.
Each week, Medtronic San Isidro exports about 18 containers to the United States and two to Europe.
output
Medtronic San Isidro’s manufacturing director, Dinorah Rodríguez, commented that the suture products have a production cost of 119 million US dollars, with 1,900 direct jobs and over 150 production lines.
In surgical instruments, this company, which operates under the free zone regime, has a production cost of 136 million USD and 40 production lines, generating 935 direct jobs.
In the “Brain and Specialties” product portfolio, the company has a production cost of $ 56 million and generates 302 direct jobs, neovascular equipment could occupy most of the factory, according to Virgilio de Pool, another director present on tour.
From San Isidro an activity is being developed that faces a new medical challenge: COVID-19.
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The sector is being revitalized
Transformation
Dominican free zones have shifted from textiles to diversification for 15 years, where there are now companies dedicated to telecommunications, paper products, jewelry, software development and more.
Infrastructure
The country has five seaports for free zones, as well as six international airports, transport being one of the reasons for attracting investment in the sector.