Varian Medical Systems plans to expand operations in Fulton County, Georgia

Varian Medical Systems (NYSE: VAR), the world's leading manufacturer of medical devices and software for treating cancer as well as a premier supplier of X-ray imaging components, today announced that it will expand its operations in Fulton County, Georgia. Company officials anticipate that this expansion will enable it to better serve its East Coast customers and accommodate anticipated growth that will create up to 100 new high-paying technical jobs over the next five years.

"Varian has chosen to consolidate and expand in Georgia simply because we are the best state in the nation for business," said Georgia Governor Nathan Deal. "Our state's highly skilled workforce, combined with Varian's local customer base of world-class healthcare institutions utilizing its technology in cancer treatment, makes Georgia the ideal location to support this company's ongoing growth."

Varian has a long history in the Atlanta area, with an office in Marietta for over 30 years. In 2012, Varian supported establishment of a clinical linear accelerator laboratory at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech University, for medical physics students to get hands-on experience with state-of-the-art radiation therapy equipment.

Varian's local operations recently expanded with the acquisition of Velocity Medical Solutions, an Atlanta-based developer of specialized software for cancer clinics that was incubated at Emory University. Velocity was supported, in its early stages, by the Georgia Research Alliance, a nonprofit organization aligned with Georgia's Department of Economic Development, working to expand research and commercialization capacity in Georgia's universities to launch new companies, create high-value jobs, and transform lives.

"We anticipate that there will be significant worldwide growth in demand for technology and software that clinicians can use to improve outcomes when treating cancer," said Kolleen Kennedy, president of Varian's Oncology Systems business. "Our acquisition of the Velocity group was part of a larger strategy to produce more tools and software that support our clinical customers. The new facility in Atlanta will enable us to foster greater collaboration across our teams and make sure that we have the space to accommodate future growth. We sincerely appreciate the support we have received for this project from Georgia state officials."

According to Kennedy, the new Atlanta center will operate as an East Coast hub for Varian. "It will include a state-of-the-art customer visit facility so that customers in the Eastern part of the U.S. and in Europe do not need to come all the way to California to meet with us, see our products, and talk with us about their future technology needs," she said.

"We are pleased that Varian Medical Systems has chosen to make this investment in metro Atlanta and create new jobs in the medical and healthcare industry. This expansion is a testament to the extensive R&D happening at our universities and our strength as a national leader in the health IT sector," said Brian P. McGowan, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

Varian anticipates that the new center, which is located at 3290 Northside Parkway, will be ready for occupancy in November of this year.