Jan, 2009

St. Jude Medical Plans Expansion in Costa Rica

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* Company will invest more than $40 million for expansion
* New facility could generate 500 new positions by 2010

San José, Costa Rica, January 14, 2009: St. Jude Medical, named FORTUNE Magazine’s “Most Admired Medical and Precision Equipment Company” in 2007 and 2008, has decided to set up manufacturing operations in Costa Rica. The company will invest more than $40 million in a new 20,000-square-meter facility, which could potentially generate up to 500 new jobs by 2010.

St. Jude Medical will initially use its Costa Rica facility to expand production of the company’s heart valve portfolio. The global medical device company, based in St. Paul, Minn., USA, develops products for cardiac rhythm management, atrial fibrillation, cardiac surgery, cardiology and neuromodulation.

The construction of St. Jude Medical’s new plant began in December 2008 in Coyol Free Zone, Alajuela. The manufacturing process is expected to start in 2010, and the company expects to export products manufactured in Costa Rica in the second half of 2010.

“St. Jude Medical has chosen Costa Rica as an expansion site because of its robust business environment, talented workforce, and its strategic location in an area where we see strong growth potential,” said Michael T. Rousseau, group president of St. Jude Medical. “We appreciate the opportunity to do business in Costa Rica and look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship.”


St. Jude Medical products

St. Jude Medical’s product portfolio includes:

• Pacemakers
• Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs)
• Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) devices
• Heart valve replacement and repair products
• Electrophysiology catheters
• Mapping and visualization systems
• Vascular closure devices
• Spinal cord stimulation devices

The Director General of the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE), Gabriela Llobet, reaffirmed that with St. Jude Medical’s arrival to the country, Costa Rica strengthens its position as one of the best destinations to produce, design and manufacture products for the medical industry.

“We are thrilled with St. Jude Medical’s decision to start operations in our country. This confirms Costa Rica´s high standards of quality and its sophisticated workforce, which allow medical companies to perform complex manufacturing,” said Llobet.

About St. Jude Medical, Inc.

St. Jude Medical develops medical technology and services that focus on putting more control into the hands of those who treat cardiac, neurological and chronic pain patients worldwide. The company is dedicated to advancing the practice of medicine by reducing risk wherever possible and contributing to successful outcomes for every patient. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., USA, St. Jude Medical employs more than 13,000 people worldwide and has five major focus areas that include cardiac rhythm management, atrial fibrillation, cardiac surgery, cardiology and neuromodulation. For more information, visit www.sjm.com.