British orthopedic device firm Smith & Nephew confirmed Monday that it is closing down its 30-employee facility in San Antonio by the end of 2009. The facility is the only remaining local operation of one of the city’s most successful biomedical companies, OsteoBiologics Inc.
Smith & Nephew will fold the San Antonio unit’s operations into its Mansfield, Mass., facility, which is the Smith & Nephew Endoscopy division. The company’s local site is currently located at University Business Park on the northwest side of town.
Mario Hernandez, president of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, said he was unaware of the local closing. “Unfortunately, that’s the risk that we run when companies are acquired — the community can lose local employment,” Hernandez says. “We’re certainly sad to see that happen, but it is often part of the normal business events when the purchaser is based outside of the market. We certainly hope they’ll consider us in the future because we think San Antonio is stacked for medical technology companies like that.”
