Florida’s loss is Costa Rica’s gain with Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific, a top-tier producer of medical devices, has announced it will shutter its plant in Miami, Florida, and move operations to Costa Rica.

“As we recently informed our employees, we have decided to close our Miami manufacturing facility, which we expect to occur by the end of 2011,” Boston Scientific said in a statement e-mailed to The Tico Times.

“This decision was made as part of our previously announced strategy to reduce complexity and improve efficiencies across our global manufacturing network. Most of the products manufactured in Miami will be transferred to Boston Scientific´s facilities in Costa Rica,” the statement said.

The move by Boston Scientific – headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts – comes with plans to double its original 2004 investment in Costa Rica. The medical device maker employs 1,700 workers here and expects to see twice that amount in the next two years, according to Jorge Perera, vice president of the company´s Costa Rica operations (see Medical Manufacturer Expands Operations).

The company has nearly 29,000 employees, with 15,000 different products made in 26 plants worldwide.

The news of the Miami closure comes after a series of moves in which U.S. workers´ loss translates into Costa Rica´s gain.

Amway Global, a multi-level marketing group, recently announced plans to transfer 93 positions from its corporate office in Ada, Michigan to Costa Rica.

Back in April, Firestone opened a new air springs plant in Turrialba, a Caribbean slope town east of San José, after shedding jobs in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Daniel Shea contributed to this report.