MAQUET Cardiovascular officially opens its new headquarters in Wayne

MAQUET Cardiovascular LLC, a leading, global provider of cardiovascular technologies, today celebrated and formally opened its new United States headquarters in Wayne, New Jersey. The dedication ceremony was attended by local and state dignitaries, the MAQUET leadership team, and local employees from the company's cardiovascular, critical care and surgical workplace divisions.

"MAQUET Cardiovascular has deep ties to the state of New Jersey, and it is with great honor and pride that we dedicate our new facility today," said Christian Keller, President and CEO, MAQUET Cardiovascular. "From our new U.S. headquarters and through the dedication of our employees around the globe, we plan to exceed in our commitment to deliver technology and products that improve the clinical and economic outcomes for high acuity cardiac patients."

MAQUET Cardiovascular's history has its roots in the historic Paterson textile manufacturing industry that flourished in New Jersey in the 19th and 20th centuries. While much of this industry has disappeared in the state, MAQUET Cardiovascular employs many descendants of the past textile industry who apply this same skilled trade and craftsmanship to the production of its knitted and woven vascular grafts, used across the U.S. in life-saving procedures every day.

MAQUET Cardiovascular's history in New Jersey started with Meadox Medical, which was founded in Haledon in 1954. Meadox was acquired by Boston Scientific Corporation in 1995. In 2008, MAQUET acquired the Meadox business and the former Guidant cardiovascular surgery business from Boston Scientific, and formed MAQUET Cardiovascular. In 2009, the company acquired Datascope, another New Jersey- based medical device company, and emerged as a leading global provider of the top-selling cardiac and vascular surgery products on the market today.

"MAQUET would like to thank the New Jersey Economic Development Authority for its support of our growth efforts," said William Friedberg, President of MAQUET Cardiovascular's Vascular Interventions business unit. "The cooperative nature of the state government, favorable economic incentives, and the skilled workforce of the surrounding areas made Wayne, New Jersey, the perfect community in which to develop our world-class facilities and headquarters."

With the unemployment rate in New Jersey at 9.5 percent, MAQUET Cardiovascular's continued expansion and ramp-up of its wholly-owned manufacturing facility will hire up to 350 new employees while maintaining jobs for 1,100 statewide residents as it seeks to ramp up its wholly-owned manufacturing activities that were previously conducted primarily in Puerto Rico. The company hopes to expand its New Jersey work force in the future but, like many medical device companies, is concerned about potential new taxes that would inhibit growth in the medical technology sector. The company has already invested nearly $40 million to develop its new headquarters and manufacturing areas. The 282,000 square foot site will include state-of-the-art manufacturing and house a Surgical Academy and Showroom, complete with full-scale operating room environments for training and education. Construction is also slated to start soon on an auditorium that will seat 180 people with state-of-the-art multimedia capabilities, including interpreting and production booths.