Cretex Medical Breaks Ground in Costa Rica

Contract manufacturing and engineering firm Cretex Medical has broken ground on a new production facility in Cartago, Costa Rica, the company announced yesterday. The 65,000-square-foot medical device component manufacturing and assembly facility is slated to begin operations in Q3 2025.

End-to-end manufacturing capabilities.

Privately owned, Cretex Medical has a portfolio of companies offering a complete range of end-to-end medical device manufacturing capabilities throughout the United States. One of those companies is Juno Pacific, which provides medical device molding, design, and assembly services from facilities in Minnesota and California. The time was right to add an international footprint, said Cretex Chief Operating Officer Nick Morrison.

“We evaluated a variety of countries and communities. We knew that we needed a location that brought us into proximity with our global customers. It also had to have a labor market with the right technical skills and talent, while aligning with our domestic operations,” said Morrison.

A Central American medtech hub.

Costa Rica’s medical device manufacturing cluster is home to more than 90 global companies and suppliers. Medical technology is the country’s main export, and as OEMs have set up shop in the Central American country, their suppliers have followed. Just in the last 12 months, Freudenberg Medical has expanded operations, microelectronics supplier Intricon announced plans to open a facility, and TekniPlex Healthcare has installed medical tubing extrusion lines at its plant.

"As a family-owned, purpose-driven company, Cretex sought a location that aligned with both our business needs and our core values," said Cretex CEO and President Jeff Wollerman. "Costa Rica's cultural emphasis on family and community, coupled with its status as a leading manufacturer of medical devices, made it an ideal match."

Cretex Medical said it plans to invest more than $20 million in its Costa Rica operations over the next few years, with a second expansion already in mind.