A year after Welch Allyn Inc. laid off the majority of its Beaverton workforce, the medical device maker held a grand opening celebration for a new facility down the road.
Welch Allyn on Wednesday celebrated its 100th anniversary with the opening of its new Development & Technology Center. The 34,000 square foot facility is “purpose built” to facilitate design, development and education, said Soundharya Nagasubramanian, director of SW and Systems Architecture.
It contains five labs co-located with engineers, collaborative rooms and quiet areas for software developers.
“As simple as it sounds, it’s gone a long way toward helping creativity and improving processes,” said Tom Doherty, vice president of Enterprise Program Management.
Welch Allyn, which makes patient monitoring systems and vital signs devices, is headquartered in Skaneateles Falls, New York. As recently as 2012, it had 270 jobs in Beaverton.
It has since dropped to 70, but that number may grow. Welch Allyn recently released a new product called the Connex Spot Monitor.
“The team here in Beaverton played a big role in the development of that device,” Doherty said. “If you look at our strategy, it revolves around growth. As we look at Beaverton and the new products going into development, we’re going to be part of that growth at Welch Allyn.”
The new building is located at 9525 S.W. Gemini Dr., half a mile from the old one.
_____________________________________________
May 21, 2015
Elizabeth Hayes
Portland Business Journal