SAN ANTONIO -- One of the largest medical technology companies in the world is coming to San Antonio and bringing scores of new jobs.
The decision of Minneapolis-based "Medtronic" to set up shop in San Antonio is seen as a huge economic development victory for the city and city leaders who helped seal the deal.
Medtronic will occupy 145,000 square feet of the "Overlook at the Rim" office building on the Northwest Side. The company will bring approximately 1300 jobs to the San Antonio area. Officials with Medtronic say the San Antonio location will be a support branch for its growing diabetes-treatment division. The jobs are likely be related to company sales and marketing.
City leaders say the deal has taken more than a year to hammer out and some $6 million in incentives. San Antonio beat out cities like Austin and Kansas City.
Medtronic literally began in a Minneapolis garage back in 1949 and now has more than 250 offices in 120 countries.
While the announcement is great news for the city and many people looking for work, Medtronic does come with some baggage. In 2006, Medtronic reached a $40 million settlement with the federal government over alleged illegal kickbacks paid to doctors for using its spinal devices. Congress has inquired about alleged payments to doctors even after the settlement. The company is also dealing with the lingering effects of a 2007 recall of a widely used heart device that was found to have defective cables after several deaths had been reported.
But Medtronic is responsible for a number of significant medical advances, including the first ever computer-assisted hip replacement surgery. The procedure more precisely tells surgeons how the replacement should be positioned, which results in a smaller incision.
Medtronic has also developed devices that reduce physical tremors caused by Parkinson's Disease and other illnesses.
