Industry Intelligence

By: Norbert Sparrow

Industry Intelligence: Keeping the Customers Satisfied

“We’re good listeners.” In a nutshell, that is how Jabil (Saint Petersburg, FL, USA), a supplier of medical electronics manufacturing and moulding services, came to establish a Single-Use Device (SUD) business for the medical device industry, says Tony Allan, Vice President, Global Business Units.

“We began looking into this about 18 months ago, largely driven by inquiries from our customers,” explains Allan. “They were looking for a complete outsourcing service from a company with technical expertise, global reach and financial stability. We are now able to offer that to them with our SUD business,” he says, describing it as an expansion and development of Jabil’s extensive medical outsourcing capabilities.

“Revenue in 2008 was US$12.8 billion, so we have the financial stability that companies demand, now more than ever,” explains Allan. Moreover, Jabil has the wherewithal to build medical products cost effectively by drawing on a deep well of technical expertise and leveraging its global presence, adds Allan.

The SUD’s turnkey services include design and development, tooling, moulding, assembly, packaging, sterilisation management and aftermarket services. It is worth noting that Jabil’s global ISO 13485–certified design centres vertically source tooling from ISO 13485 facilities in Asia/Pacific, thus achieving cost benefits without compromising quality. The company offers in-depth expertise in a wide range of materials, including engineered resins, thermoplastic elastomers and urethanes, and silicone rubber.

Initially, the SUD outsourcing business will focus on the production of drug delivery products, catheters, and diagnostic and laboratory disposables at facilities in Asia/Pacific, Ukraine and Mexico. Jabil operates a total of 11 Medical Centres of Excellence around the world.