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Manufacturing
Staying Power: Arthrex Remains in Collier County
Arthrex workers protested incentives for Jackson Lab at a county commission meeting last year. Arthrex Founder and CEO: Reinhold Schmieding 2010 revenue: $970 million Employees: 1,500 Products: More than 5,000 implements used in arthroscopic and minimally invasive orthopedic surgical procedures |
Schmieding |
Amid the hoopla and excitement over the county possibly attracting a world-class research facility, Schmieding complained that Arthrex, a surgical equipment maker that ranks 24th on Florida Trend's list of the state's biggest private companies, was not getting the community support it deserved. As a result, he implied that Arthrex — and its nearly 1,500 employees — might leave Collier County.
In the end, the millions in incentives for Jackson never materialized, and Jackson Laboratory took its proposed research facility to Sarasota County, where a deal there fizzled. Schmieding reaffirmed his commitment to Collier County this summer, announcing a $20-million plan to build a manufacturing plant near Ave Maria that Arthrex estimates will create 150 jobs. The company, which has also purchased a former Robb & Stucky warehouse in Lee County, stands to gain $2.2 million in incentives and impact fee breaks from Collier County.