Ottobock Healthcare relocating its North America logistics and distribution operations to Louisville

German prosthetic, orthotic manufacturer to create up to 25 new jobs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 20, 2014) — German-owned Ottobock Healthcare LP is moving its North America logistics and distribution operations to Louisville. The medical device manufacturer will create 25 new jobs and invest more than $3 million into the project.

“It’s always exciting when a cutting-edge company choses Kentucky as its home,” said Gov. Steve Beshear. “Ottobock aims to significantly expand its North American market, and the commonwealth offers many strategic advantages to make that happen.”

Ottobock makes prosthetics, braces, children’s wheelchairs, cushions and accessories for people with mobility challenges. The company is relocating its operations from Minneapolis and Ontario, Canada to Louisville to better serve its customers. Ottobock expects the move will help triple its business.

“Louisville has a strong reputation of shipping expertise, and we believe the creation of a regional distribution center there will build efficiency in today’s competitive environment and support the accelerated growth we are anticipating,” says Andreas Schultz, North American regional president and CFO of Ottobock. “The other top consideration in choosing a new location was an environment where our employees and the organization could flourish while maintaining our continuing commitment to improving patient outcomes and supporting clinical excellence. We are confident the choice of Louisville supports our aims.”

The move to a 38,000-s.f. facility on Industry Road is already underway. Hiring has begun to fill an estimated 20 new jobs by October, and that number is expected to grow to 25 over the next three years.

Ottobock’s parent company, Otto Bock HealthCare, GmbH, is based in Duderstadt, Germany and has more than 7,000 employees worldwide. Ottobock Healthcare LP was established in 1958 as the Americas corporate headquarters.

The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives of up to $375,000 through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the term of the agreement through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.

For more information on Ottobock, visit ottobockus.com.