ICU Plans Factory Upgrades, New Products
San Clemente-based ICU Medical Inc. plans to up spending this year on factory automation and other upgrades, according to company officials.
The maker of devices used to administer drugs to patients plans to spend $8 million to $10 million on capital improvements this year, up from an earlier projection of $6 million to $7 million. The company is looking to buy molding and robotic production gear for its San Clemente operations.
ICU said it plans to use the automated assembly gear to produce its CLC2000 swabable intravenous connector and a drug-delivery product this year.
The company also is looking at new facilities outside of North America, as well as $5 million to $6 million in sterilization gear for its assembly plant in Ensenada.
ICU stresses auto-mation and technological prowess. The company’s San Cle-mente plant runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, sometimes with no one around.
“We’ve used technology to be a more efficient company,” founder and Chief Executive George Lopez said in a recent interview.
The company saw first quarter sales rise 39% to $21 million.
Officials attribute the growth to ICU’s strengthened intravenous systems business and increased global sales.
Last year, global sales more than doubled to $5.4 million.
ICU Medical’s primary product, the Clave needleless intravenous connection system, accounted for 77% of the company’s sales in the first quarter.
,Candice Baker
