By The Star Staff
Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia, along with the Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC by its Spanish acronym) Secretary Manuel Cidre Miranda, participated on Monday in Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s announcement of the expansion of its operations at the Innovative Medicine manufacturing plant in Manatí to increase the capacity of Ethicon’s key products.
“With this expansion of Innovative Medicine’s manufacturing plant in Manatí, Ethicon will increase its product offering in what means a new commitment to Puerto Rico as an ideal location for its $168 million investment,” the governor said in a written statement. “This is resulting in the creation of more than 300 new well-paying jobs, increasing its workforce of about 1,500 employees at the sister plant in San Lorenzo.”
Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s manufacturing facility in San Lorenzo is at the limit of its space capacity, so the company conducted a review to identify how to adapt to growing production demand. As a result, an investment was made to renovate the Manatí plant, allowing uninterrupted manufacturing operations and continuity of product supply. The expansion will add nearly 100,000 square feet of manufacturing capacity.
The governor added that “in addition to having a great economic impact at the national level, it allows us to support our academia, develop scientific research and promote research centers from which our young people and scientists in Puerto Rico benefit.”
“The industrial sector on our island, which includes the sophisticated manufacturing of medical devices as is done here at Ethicon, is an integral part of the growth we are experiencing,” Pierluisi said. “This industry produces about 84,000 direct jobs, a growth of more than 8,000 jobs in the past three years and, in the area of biopharma, has an impact of more than 30 percent of our gross domestic product.”
The DDEC secretary added that “the expansion of Ethicon in Manatí confirms the confidence of the pharmaceutical industry in Puerto Rico.”
“This operation, which will manufacture surgery, orthopedics, vision and surgical intervention solutions, will be carried out by a team of Puerto Rican professionals who are distinguished by their experience, knowledge and capacity in the pharmaceutical industry, an important pillar for the island’s economy,” Cidre Miranda said. “This investment strengthens Puerto Rico’s competitiveness as a global center for pharmaceutical manufacturing and increases the island’s productive capacity.”