SINGAPORE, March 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Edwards Lifesciences Corporation , the world leader in heart valve technologies, today celebrated the groundbreaking for its new heart valve manufacturing facility in Changi North, Singapore. The state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, scheduled for completion in October 2007, will be the company’s third global manufacturing facility dedicated to producing Edwards’ world-leading Carpentier-Edwards PERIMOUNT replacement tissue heart valves. The company also operates facilities dedicated to heart valve manufacturing at its global headquarters in Irvine, Calif., USA, and in Horw, Switzerland.
Construction of the 98,000 square foot facility will begin immediately and is expected to employ up to 500 people when operating at full capacity. In the interim, Edwards will continue to operate in a temporary facility in Kaki Bukit, Singapore.
“Edwards Lifesciences is dedicated to providing the world’s highest quality, most technologically advanced replacement heart valves, and we expect this new facility will help us meet the growing demands of advanced cardiovascular disease patients,” said Corinne H. Lyle, Edwards’ president of global operations.
“This state-of-the-art facility will help Edwards continue to grow as the number-one heart valve company in the world,” said Randel W. Woodgrift, Edwards’ corporate vice president of manufacturing operations, who attended the groundbreaking celebration. “Our Singapore plant will utilize some of the most advanced heart valve manufacturing technologies in the world and will serve a number of patients from the Asia Pacific region,” he added.
“We are pleased that Edwards Lifesciences is setting up its first tissue heart valve manufacturing facility in Singapore,” said Mr. Philip Yeo, Chairman, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore. “Edwards’ project fits well with our intent to build a competitive, world-class cardiovascular devices industry in Singapore. It will introduce new capabilities to our workforce, as well as provide diversity and resilience to Singapore’s fast growing Medical Technology sector.”
About Edwards Lifesciences
Edwards Lifesciences, a leader in advanced cardiovascular disease treatments, is the number-one heart valve company in the world and the global leader in acute hemodynamic monitoring. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Edwards focuses on specific cardiovascular opportunities including heart valve disease, peripheral vascular disease and critical care technologies. The company’s global brands, which are sold in approximately 100 countries, include Carpentier-Edwards, Cosgrove-Edwards, FloTrac, Fogarty, LifeStent, PERIMOUNT and Swan-Ganz. Additional company information can be found at http://www.edwards.com.
Edwards Lifesciences, Edwards, Carpentier-Edwards, Cosgrove-Edwards, Fogarty, PERIMOUNT and Swan-Ganz are trademarks of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation and are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. LifeStent is a trademark of Edwards Lifesciences AG and is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. FloTrac is a trademark of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation.
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
CONTACT: media, Barry R. Liden, +1-949-250-5070, or investors, David K.Erickson, +1-949-250-6826, both of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation
Web site: http://www.edwards.com//
