This week at the MD&M East show, officials from PolyOne Corp., a premier global provider of specialized polymer materials, services and solutions, announced the opening of a new polymer distribution warehouse and sales facility in San Jose, Costa Rica.

"Our new Costa Rica facility will provide value to healthcare device manufacturers and processors in Costa Rica by helping them to streamline logistics and simplify inventory management," says Kurt C. Schuering, president, PolyOne Distribution.

Costa Rica has become a key region in Central America for our global healthcare customers, and they will receive the same superior solutions and service that we maintain in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and China. PolyOne is the first North American distributor to invest in Cost Rica, demonstrating our long-term commitment to the healthcare industry, and we are recognized for our global healthcare expertise and capability in serving this market.

Costa Rica was recently ranked by a World Bank study as the top high-tech exporter in Latin America. The medical industry in Costa Rica is expanding, with over 30 medical device companies manufacturing locally.

The San Jose facility will be positioned to support the local healthcare supply chain needs of PolyOne's global customers as they expand into Latin America. Local inventory will facilitate timely supply of qualified materials. PolyOne Distribution offers the broadest range of certified polymer and elastomer compounds in the healthcare industry, which allows it to help customers consolidate resin purchases and offer unbiased solutions that are best suited for specific applications.

While the new facility will initially serve healthcare customers, PolyOne is evaluating ways in which the added supply chain capability may service other customers in Costa Rica and Central America in the future.