Starting the year off strong

"Looking back at 2007, I am very pleased with our results and want to thank our clients and the Devicix staff for making 2007 such a great year. Our feedback from clients is that we are performing very well, and meeting their project requirements by delivering quality results on schedule and within budget.

"Additionally, we have retained all of our existing clients and we added six new clients throughout 2007. I'm excited to report that these results for performance and growth are exceeding my expectations. All indicators show that 2008 will continue to be another successful year for our clients, our employees and the company.

- Peter DeLange, CEO of Devicix

LifeScience Alley Expo recap and plans for 2008

Devicix is a member of Minnesota-based LifeScience Alley, and has participated for the last two years in the organization's annual expo and seminar.

At the December event, Devicix sponsored the Cyber Café for the second year and signed on to sponsor the Cyber Café again in 2008. The Cyber Café includes Internet-connected computer stations available to conference attendees.

"This event has been very successful for us in numerous ways," said Rick Stein, Director of Business Development for Devicix. "We benefit by attending the many seminar sessions held throughout the day, and the expo gives us an opportunity to stay connected with the medical community - both locally and nationally - as we make contacts for new business opportunities."

Stein continued, "I have attended the LifeScience Alley Expo for years and can say that this event gets better every year. I have found it is a must-attend event for us."

Looking ahead, the next LifeScience Alley Expo will be held Dec. 10 at the Minneapolis Convention Center to accommodate increasing attendance. Additional details can be obtained by visiting LifeScience Alley.

R&D Outsourcing panel discussion received well

Peter DeLange, CEO of Devicix, joined five other local industry leaders in December for a panel discussion on R&D Outsourcing for medical device design and development. The event was sponsored by LifeScience Alley (LSA) of Minnesota and held at the UEL facility in St. Paul.

The panel topic was chosen due to requests from the LSA general membership. The target audience included a range of start-up companies to well-established OEMs that outsource for engineering services for their medical device design and development.

"Audience interaction was good and the feedback was great," said DeLange. "The general consensus was that this was an informative topic that should be repeated in the near future."

Local companies represented in the audience included Synovis, Medtronic, St. Jude, Boston Scientific and Canopy Medical.

Ping Pong at Devicix?

An important part of the floor plan for the new Devicix facility in 2007 in Eden Prairie was the inclusion of a shower and dressing area, as well as exercise equipment for walking, running and biking. A ping pong table was added recently and, so far, the best ping pong player is one of Devicix's clients.

On his weekly visits to Devicix to review his project status, a game of ping pong is scheduled into the agenda.

2007 Company Events

Last year was a busy year for Devicix beginning with the company move from Chaska to the larger facility in Eden Prairie, which was celebrated with an open house in late summer.

Additional company events included a summer family picnic, fall hayride, campfire and chili cook out, and traditional holiday party.

Office Manager Dee DeLange also organized two volunteer activities that involved making and donating blankets to the Minneapolis VA Center, and packing food for the Feed My Starving Children organization.

Devicix has developed a Fun Committee to keep the good times rolling through 2008.

APRIL

April 15-17: Design of Medical Devices Conference (DMD)

Devicix has signed on to be a sponsor and exhibitor at this year's Design of Medical Devices (DMD) Conference to be held at the Radisson University Hotel in Minneapolis, adjacent to the University of Minnesota campus.

This year the conference will take place April 15-17. Some of the technical session topics scheduled include Orthopedics, Neuro Modulation, Cardiac Anatomy, Electronics, IP and Regulatory. A complete schedule and agenda can be found on the DMD web site..

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 23-25: Chicago Medical Device and Manufacturing (MD&M) Expo

Devicix will attend the Medical Device and Manufacturing (MD&M) Expo Sept. 23-25, 2008, at the recently-added Chicago location. MD&M Midwest is expected to showcase 300 exhibiting companies and attract 4,000 medical design and manufacturing professionals.

The MD&M trade shows have grown over the years with attendance for exhibitors and visitors increasing steadily at the Minneapolis, West and East coast shows. For that reason, a new show was added in Chicago at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemount, Ill. Devicix will have a display at Booth #3144.