Medical Device Manufacturer Seeks $400K in State Funds for Brooklyn Park Move
A Maple Grove company plans to move to Brooklyn Park with the help of state funds.
Switchback Medical is seeking $400,000 from the Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF), a program that provides forgivable loans if certain job goals are met. The Brooklyn Park City Council approved submitting an application on the company’s behalf during its meeting Monday.
The company makes custom products primarily for the medical device industry. City officials say the company quickly needed more space.
“They’ve experienced rapid growth in the last three years, which is pretty typical for these medical device manufacturers,” said Daniela Lorenz, business development coordinator for the city of Brooklyn Park
Switchback Medical currently employs 70 people in Maple Grove. It expects to create 90 new jobs with the move. Company officials say finding workers in the medical device industry is a challenge currently.
“It’s a tight market for people right now,” said Daryl Kiefer with Switchback Medical. “Trying to find qualified operators, technicians, engineers, is difficult.”
Kiefer says the pay ranges from $25.50 an hour including benefits for operators to $54.50 for engineers.
The manufacturer is in negotiations to acquire property where Egan Company is located at 7625 Boone Ave. N., near Hennepin Technical College.
Since 2016, MIF has assisted in the creation of more than 350 jobs in Brooklyn Park, Lorenz said. Biomerics, Takeda, Star, Cirtec Medical and JunoPacific have all used the MIF program to finance a move to or expand in Brooklyn Park.
