2 companies to expand operations in Puerto Rico
ONE of the largest eye care companies in the US is expanding its operations in Puerto Rico.
Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla says CooperVision will invest US$250 million to build 15 new production lines, a project that will create some 350 new jobs. The company currently employs 1,600 workers at a plant in the southern town of Juana Diaz.
CooperVision was founded in 1980, but the history of the company goes back much further, according to its website. Its parent company, The Cooper Companies, Inc, is a global medical device company with products sold in over 100 countries. Founded in 1958, the company later reorganised into four independent business units that focused on specialised market segments, from which CooperVision was born, says the website.
Garcia also said Wednesday that Irish drug and medical device maker Covidien PLC is investing US$3 million to expand production at its plant in the southern coastal city of Ponce. The investment is expected to create 200 new jobs.
Covidien is a leading global healthcare products company that manufactures, distributes and services a diverse range of industry-leading product lines in three segments: Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies, according to the company website.
With 2012 revenue of US$11.9 billion, Covidien has 43,000 employees worldwide in 70 countries, and its products are sold in over 140 countries.
— AP
Additional reporting by the Jamaica Observer