Worcester Business Journal

12 Worcester Business Journal | April 3, 2023 | wbjournal.com F O C U S M A N U F A C T U R I N G E X C E L L E N C E A W A R D S W BMP Medical bridges the gap for medical device makers T he twin cities area of Fitchburg, Leominster, and surrounding towns in North Central Massachusetts may not be the manufacturing hub it was in the mid-20th century, but for one medical device maker, it's still an ideal place to call home. BMP Medical in Sterling, a fam- ily-owned business, was poised for long-term success from the start. When Jack Fay founded the company (then Biomedical Polymers) in 1978 in Leominster, he targeted plastic injection molding specifically for medical device manufacturers. at decision buoyed BMP as other plastics companies in the region dwindled when it became cheaper to make plastic parts in other countries. But in the medical device field, the margin for error is non-existent, and plastic parts used in an array of products in medical laboratories and clinical settings must be validated in a quali- fied U.S. facility, said John Faulker, the grandson of founder Jack Fay. "We will partner with many different companies looking to bring a design to life or an existing client they have, helping to mass produce their product," Faulkner said. As vice president of sales and mar- keting, Faulkner grew up knowing one day he'd help lead the private compa- ny, which today employs 125. When his grandfather started the business, Faulkner estimated there were roughly 500 injection-molding machines to make plastic products within 10 miles of Leominster. All the supporting shops, like tool makers and packaging facilities, were there, too. Since then, much of that industry has gone overseas. But Massachusetts is full of life science and biotech companies making products for clinical and laboratory purposes. Some of the big names, such as Millipore Sigma in Burlington, and VWR International in Pennsylvania, contract with BMP to produce their products. "ey need to bridge the gap from product to production," Faulkner said of his clients. Along with that process comes review, material con- sultation, sterilization, packaging, and materials consultation inside BMP's 80,000-square-foot facility in Sterling. Notably, Waltham-based medical equipment manufacturer Rhinostics worked with BMP Medical in the production of a new type of nasal swab that doesn't use cotton, which greatly re- duced the processing time of COVID-19 tests during the pandemic. Innovative clients like these make Massachusetts an enduring locale for a company like BMP, Faulkner said. Aer rebranding to BMP Medical and relocating the former Gardner head- quarters to a larger facility in Sterling in 2018, the company has expanded its ca- pabilities to include all operations, from production in a cleanroom to packaging and assembly. Faulkner said there's even room to grow. "We've been heavily investing in our company here, and I think that our growth has always been healthy," Faulk- ner said. One of the key collaborations BMP Medical has worked on has been with Waltham medical equipment manufacturer Rhinostics, where the team created a new type of nasal swab for COVID-19 tests. Best Collaboration Award B M P M e d i c a l Location: Sterling Industry subsector: Contract manufacturing services for the medical device industry; producing highly precise plastic consumables used in medical devices and diagnostic kits Founded: 1978 Employees: 100+ Top executive: Michael Faulkner, president & CEO; John Faulkner, vice president of sales & marketing Primary product: Custom plastic- molded manufactured solution, design, assembly, and packaging Strong roots: Celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, BMP Medical is a third-generation, veteran- founded, family-owned business in the plastics manufacturing industry. Michael Faulkner, BMP Medical president and CEO John Faulkner, BMP Medical vice president of sales and marketing BMP moved from Gardner to an 80,000- square-foot facility in Sterling in 2018. PHOTOS | COURTESY OF BMP MEDICAL BY EMILY MICUCCI Special to WBJ

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