Production has begun at a new medical tubing plant in Chattanooga where officials hope to grow the business to more than 80 employees within the next four years.
Confluent Medical Technologies, a medical device maker which already operates a half dozen facilities across the United States and Costa Rica, took over the former Mahindra Tractor plant in the Riverport South Industrial Park last year and is investing $8.3 million to upgrade the 46,300-square-foot facility to produce medical devices and tubing used in the growing field of non-invasive heart and other cardiovascular treatments.
Confluent produces medical tubing, textiles and other devices for makers of stints, catheters, balloons and guidewires.
“Having a strong manufacturing location here in the U.S. is vital to supporting our growing customer base,” said Dean Schauer, CEO of the Scottsdale, Arizona-based Confluent. “Combine this new site’s capabilities with our complex catheter offerings out of our Austin, Texas site and you have a powerful partner in Confluent Medical to assist with your catheter shaft needs.”
Confluent chose to locate in the 7-year-old former tractor plant because of its 24-foot high ceilings needed for the ovens used to make the medical tubing, the local talent familiar with Filmcast production technology and the incentives offered by the state of Tennessee to help lure the medical equipment maker to Chattanooga.