High-tech Israeli medical firm opens Manatee facility, plans 100 jobs

A fast-growing medtech firm based in Israel recently celebrated the opening of its new U.S. headquarters in north Manatee County. The group of officials and business leaders at the opening event, held Feb. 2, included Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins. 

The firm, Ossio, makes metal-free fixation implants out of a proprietary material that allows for bone regeneration. Fixation implants — which usually include things like screws, plates and pins — are designed to set and stabilize bones. Ossio officials say its novel medical technology represents the “most significant advance in orthopedic fixation technology in more than 100 years.” 

The firm’s new 30,000-square-foot facility is in the Florida International Tradeport, an industrial park spanning two million square feet along Interstate 75 near the US 301 interchange in Palmetto. The facility includes a state-of-the-art product manufacturing plant and a best-in-class surgeon training center, according to a statement. The firm began working on the buildout of the facility last year. 

Ossio CEO Brian Verrier says the company expects to create about 100 new jobs in the Palmetto facility over the next five years, with a focus on production, commercial and administrative staff. Recruiting for the first roles to be filled, according to the statement, began in January. 

Collins toured the facility before the ribbon-cutting, which was attended by some 150 people. “Florida continues to be a destination of choice for innovative companies that are transforming the future of health care,” Collins told the crowd. “Ossio’s decision to establish its U.S. headquarters here in Palmetto reflects Florida’s strong workforce, pro-growth environment and commitment to supporting advanced manufacturing and medical innovation. This investment will create high-quality jobs, strengthen our life sciences sector and position Florida at the forefront of next-generation orthopedic technology.”

OSSIO was founded in Israel in 2014 and has another office in Woburn, Massachusetts. Company officials say they chose Florida to expand for the “state’s compelling combination of technical talent and economic incentives to support sustainable growth,” the release states. 

“We couldn’t feel more welcome in Florida,” Verrier said after the ribbon cutting. “Our future in the Sunshine State is clearly bright. We’re very much looking forward to driving the company’s ambitious growth plans from our new U.S. headquarters, which promises to boost the local economy even more by bringing hundreds of surgeons to the Gulf Coast each year for training on our breakthrough medical technology for orthopedic surgery.”

In addition to Collins, other officials at the event included SelectFlorida President Mark Swanson; BioFlorida President and CEO Mark Glickman; and the co-executive directors of the Florida-Israel Business Accelerator (FIBA), Rakefet Bachur-Phillips and Pam Miniati. “Ossio’s expansion is a landmark moment for the Florida-Israel innovation corridor,” Bachur-Phillips said at the event. “Their growth in Florida is a win for our economy and a victory for patients everywhere. Ossio is a prime example of the ‘Startup Nation’ spirit, and we are proud to support them as they scale their life-changing technology.”

The company’s OSSIOfiber implants are based on Intelligent Bone Regeneration Technology, the firm says. Ossio’s “proprietary polymeric mineral fiber matrix enables rapid bone in-growth, regeneration and replacement — a new way for orthopedic surgeons to restore their patients’ stability and mobility while leaving nothing permanent behind,” the release states. Through December, more than 65,000 OSSIOfiber implants have been used to treat orthopedic patients in the U.S.