Freudenberg Medical's new CEO sees room for innovations, growth

Anaheim, Calif. — As the medical technology space reaches close to $600 billion in the U.S. alone, Freudenberg Medical and its original equipment customers continue to innovate to reach the shared goal of improved patient care.

The 2,800-person contract development and manufacturing organization based in Beverly, Mass., traveled across the country Feb. 3-5 to highlight its medical advancements at MD&M West, a 14,000-person medical conference that takes place annually at the Anaheim Convention Center.

"Medical technology is a relatively new yet rapidly growing segment for Freudenberg, especially considering the company's 175-year history," Michael McGee, CEO at Freudenberg Medical, told Rubber News,  a sister publication of Plastcs News. "The involvement with medtech began in 2004 with the acquisition of a U.S.-based silicone components manufacturer.

"Over the past two decades, through acquisitions, joint ventures and new site expansions, Freudenberg Medical has become one of the group's fastest-growing business groups."

McGee succeeded Mark Ostwald as CEO of Freudenberg Medical Jan. 1, a business division of the Weinheim, Germany-based Freudenberg Group.

McGee, former chief operating officer at Freudenberg Medical, joined the company in 2022.

"Since joining Freudenberg Medical, I have been deeply inspired by our company values and our talented global team with proven expertise in materials and technologies," McGee said. "Together, we will build on this strong foundation and drive meaningful advancements in health care.

"We remain steadfast in delivering consistent strategic partnership and prioritizing customer success."

Freudenberg Group's global revenue is approximately $12 billion, with Freudenberg Medical contributing around $400 million annually, McGee said.

Freudenberg Medical has 11 manufacturing sites in key medtech hubs like the U.S., Germany, Ireland and China.

Locations in the U.S. include Jeffersonville, Ind.; Minnetonka, Minn.; Baldwin Park, Calif.; and Carpinteria, Calif.

And the firm was one of the first to invest in the burgeoning medtech country of Costa Rica.

"Additionally, we operate a nearshoring facility in Costa Rica, with a second site set to become operational this year," McGee said. "We take pride in being where our customers need us — offering reliable local manufacturing in leading medtech regions, as well as cost-efficient production in strategic nearshore and offshore locations."

Adding further value, Freudenberg Medical maintains research and development and engineering teams at each of its sites.

"Additionally, we leverage the expertise of Freudenberg Group's R&D centers in Weinheim, Germany, and Plymouth, Mich.," McGee said.

Capabilities at the R&D centers include failure testing, digital molding and digital twin technologies, automation, AI and design-for-manufacturing services, "ensuring state-of-the-art and efficient solutions for our customers," McGee said.

"Our customers consider us a trusted partner with whom they can take a product from the initial idea to market launch, from product design and development to efficient production processes with lean methods, and finally to volume production," McGee said.

When medical device companies outsource development and production, either wholly or in part, they benefit by adding resources to strengthen their own teams. In addition, customers have access to competencies, such as capabilities and technologies, that they lack.

"With over 175 years of innovation within the Freudenberg Group, we bring deep technology and materials expertise to help our customers succeed in developing high-performance medical devices," McGee said.

As one of more than 1,700 exhibitors on the 330,000-square-foot show floor at the Anaheim Convention Center, the vertically oriented Freudenberg Medical highlighted its DFM capabilities.

"This year, we are highlighting our role as a full-service contract development manufacturing organization," McGee said.

Key innovations displayed included advanced electrophysiology catheters for a-fib treatment, cutting-edge drug-device combination products and breakthrough silicone and thermoplastic technologies.

"We partner with startups and established OEMs alike, supporting them from early-stage prototyping and design for manufacturability to material selection, regulatory support and full-scale production," the CEO said. "Our pre-developed solutions — such as conductive silicones and catheter handle designs — help accelerate time to market and address unmet health care needs."

McGee added that startups and inventors often bring the firm innovative ideas "but lack the design and manufacturing expertise to bring them to life."

"With our deep experience in DFM, we turn these concepts into manufacturable solutions," he said. "Many of these innovations quickly scale to series production, especially when taken over by major medical device OEMs."

Freudenberg Medical works in thermoplastic elastomers and silicones, as well as drug and functional coatings in the medical space.

Specifically, Freudenberg Medical designs minimally invasive solutions, including complex catheters, hypotubes, steerable shafts, handles as well as drug and hydrophilic coatings to precision molding, two-shot and micro molding, advanced extrusions and solutions for smart medical devices.

"We are not limited to a specific clinical field," McGee said. "We support customers across a wide range of applications, from implantables to interventional, diagnostic and wearable devices."

McGee noted that Freudenberg invests heavily in advanced molding and extrusion technologies—all manufactured in cleanroom environments to meet rigorous medical standards.

"One of our most exciting advancements is two-shot molding," McGee said. "We are among the few U.S. companies offering 'true' two-shot molding in a single machine. Our process enables seamless integration of silicones and thermoplastics or silicones with different shore hardnesses into a single component.

"By refining this technology, we've made it more cost-effective for our customers. Importantly, incorporating two-shot molding early in the DFM process unlocks significant value by optimizing material integration and overall product performance."

With other vertically oriented firms that exist in the highly competitive medical componentry market, McGee said Freudenberg distinguishes itself by being a non-traditional design house.

"We take pride in offering fully integrated capabilities from ideation to volume production," McGee said. "Our Centers of Excellence drive innovation by consolidating internal expertise and fostering cross-site collaboration on groundbreaking technologies.

"What truly sets us apart is how we apply Freudenberg's core competencies—deep materials expertise and advanced manufacturing technologies—to the highly regulated medtech industry, delivering high-quality solutions that benefit both customers and patients."

And time-to-market remains critical in the medtech space, which is growing at a CAGR of 8.3 percent per year, according to Fortune Business Insights.

"Our vertically integrated capabilities streamline the entire development process—from material selection and design for manufacturability to precision molding, extrusion, manual assembly and regulatory support, if needed," McGee said. "With expertise across a wide range of therapeutic areas, we offer ready-to-use solutions that help customers reduce development cycles."

By manufacturing both components and fully finished medical devices, Freudenberg is able to serve as a "true strategic partner, enabling faster market entry and ultimately benefiting patients with high-quality, innovative health care solutions."

Implementing lean manufacturing principles from the outset can improve efficiency and shorten development cycles, as well, McGee said.

"Identifying and addressing potential risks ensures smoother progress," he said. "Clear, frequent communication throughout the process is key to staying aligned, and planning for regulatory compliance early on helps avoid delays in approvals.

"By following these steps, customers can take full advantage of Freudenberg Medical's capabilities for faster market entry."

Freudenberg Group also includes seals and vibration control technology; technical textiles and filtration; cleaning technologies and products; and specialties (under which Freudenberg Medical falls).

In aggregate, the group develops technologies, products and services for about 40 markets and for thousands of applications.