The medical device industry plays an important role in framing our overall health care system by constantly developing new medical technologies that improve the ability to diagnose and treat illnesses. Prent Corporation is the leading designer and manufacturer of rigid, custom plastic thermoform packaging for medical, electronic and consumer manufacturers globally. Prent’s thermoform packaging is used to protect products while in transit, and can be sterilized to extend a medical product’s shelf life.
Prent’s process of designing that “just-right package” to meet each customer’s needs leverages concurrent virtual design technology to shorten the design process. With the use of E-drawings, customers can make drawing notations and evaluate designs in a matter of minutes. This technology aids in getting product to market on time.
Prent’s ten Global Thermoforming Centers are ISO 9001 and/or ISO 13495 certified. All thermoforming centers utilize thermoform equipment designed and built by Prent. Identical thermoform equipment allows for seamless tool transfers, a repeatable process on all thermoformers, and helps customers manage risk.
Prent was founded in 1967 by Jack Pregont in Janesville, Wisconsin. For over 50 years, Prent has pioneered thermoforming processes and developed numerous innovations that have helped advance today’s industry standards. They have won more WorldStar Packaging Awards than any other medical or pharmaceutical thermoforming company in the world. Since March 2020, the company has leveraged its vertically integrated business model of design, extrusion and manufacturing to provide millions of personal protective equipment used across the Americas, to help minimize the spread of COVID-19.
“Prent’s commitment to world-class manufacturing, operational excellence and customer service has helped us become the industry leader,” said Mark Rothlisberger, Sr. Vice President of Manufacturing for Prent. “We’ve created a business model that incorporates custom design for each unique and sophisticated piece of technology, the opportunity to distribute on a global scale and a process that is cost-effective for our customers.”
In October of 2020, Prent announced Santa Teresa, N.M. for their new manufacturing facility, where they plan to invest $12.5 million and create 85 new jobs. Like other Prent facilities, the N.M. facility is a greenfield investment that will be ISO 13485 certified, have certified class 8 clean room manufacturing, and utilize Prent built thermoform equipment. The State of New Mexico is supporting the relocation with $500,000 in economic assistance from the Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) fund, a job-creation or closing fund administered by the EDD.
Location: New Mexico is approximately equidistant to ports of LA/Long Beach, Houston and Galveston. From New Mexico, it’s possible to reach Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Utah within one day’s trucking, and California markets in two days. Distribution companies, manufacturers, and other business are well-positioned here to serve both East and West Coast clients. New Mexico is also geographically well-positioned to serve major markets in Mexico and Canada by both road and rail and also support the flow of goods into the U.S. from Mexico and Latin America. Our border region, anchored by the Las Cruces Metro, is part of a broader Metroplex that also includes El Paso, TX and Mexico’s Ciudad Juarez Metro.
Talent: Talent is plentiful in the state, with over 180,000 experienced people employed in roles relevant to manufacturing and logistics. And when companies need specialized research and development or scientific expertise, New Mexico offers one of the highest concentrations of high-skilled talent in the U.S.
Incentives: The state provides key incentives such as the Economic Development Act (LEDA) fund and the Job-creation or closing fund administered by the New Mexico Economic Development Department.
