Read the Conversation
Meeting highlights:
- Strategic Expansion to Costa Rica: Switchback Medical is launching operations in Costa Rica to strengthen its capabilities in the development and manufacturing of minimally invasive medical devices.
- Vision: Over the next five years, the goal is to establish and expand into a high-performing, self-sustaining operation that mirrors the company’s U.S. standards.
- Personal Priorities: The focus is on building a strong company culture while measuring success through talent retention, operational excellence, and ecosystem integration.
- Company Culture & Talent Development: The company is committed to creating an engaging, collaborative, and enjoyable work environment that supports employee growth and satisfaction.
- Talent Attraction Strategy: Plans include attracting and developing local talent by leveraging Costa Rica’s industrial zones and offering meaningful career opportunities.
EF: What are your priorities and the metrics that define success behind the move to Costa Rica? What do you hope to achieve in the next five years?
JJ: At Switchback, we specialize in contract development and manufacturing, with a current emphasis on development and design. We produce finished devices and minimally invasive catheters—working on full assemblies and packaged units. We're in the process of expanding our manufacturing operations, which is a significant step for us. It allows us to provide lower-cost solutions for existing customers, support the long-term growth of products already in production, and attract new clients seeking cost-effective manufacturing from the start. With our expanding local operations in Costa Rica, we are also well-positioned to attract new local OEM clients looking for reliable, high-quality production capabilities in a strategic location.
Over the next five years, our plan is to expand our facility. We’re starting with a 3,000-square-meter space across two levels (roughly 57,000 square feet), and we have the option to grow into the second half of the building, totaling 6,000 square meter footprint and 120,000 square feet across the two levels.
For us, success means executing around three product transfers from our Minnesota site, targeting higher-volume lines. Costa Rica will be our dedicated high-volume manufacturing site. A second key goal is extrusion. Our sister company specializes in catheter extrusions—thermoplastics and fluoropolymers, but this capability doesn’t yet exist in Costa Rica. That gives us a unique opportunity to offer a critical service locally and scale it to support both regional and international demand.
We’re also expanding the Switchback enterprise through acquisitions, and startups, and launching new companies focused on higher-volume manufacturing. While I can’t share names or technologies yet, the idea is to support businesses that currently lack the capacity or capital to scale. Instead of relocating them or building new sites elsewhere, we aim to bring that growth to Costa Rica.
EF: What unique operational challenges do you anticipate for high-volume manufacturing in Costa Rica, and how are you preparing your team to address these challenges?
JJ: In Minnesota, we don’t currently have low-cost, high-volume manufacturing, but we do have the infrastructure and a strong quality system in place to support it. Just last week, we passed our latest ISO audit with no findings—proof that the system is working well. Our plan is to replicate and adapt this structure in Costa Rica, creating a harmonized quality and operational setup capable of handling higher volumes and supporting long-term growth.
We’re about 12 to 18 months away from having the Costa Rica facility fully operational. While we don’t yet have a local team, we have a clear roadmap. Some team members from Minnesota are already preparing to help onboard the Costa Rica team and support the rollout of infrastructure and systems. One of our main challenges will be building the right team from the ground up.
At Switchback, our employees are one of our greatest strengths. Their talent, engagement, and the culture we’ve built. We’re committed to replicating that culture in Costa Rica, which means being deliberate about how we hire and train. Some of the talent we need may not be readily available locally, so we’re putting a strong training strategy in place. We’ll train operators in catheter assembly and core operations, and we’ll also focus on developing the leadership team to ensure alignment with our values and expectations.
Costa Rica also offers unique advantages, such as tax incentives and cost savings that support training initiatives. One of the benefits is being able to train operators in our processes before they’re even hired—turning training into both a recruitment and onboarding tool.
EF: What plans do you have for innovation and using your footprint to drive innovation in Costa Rica? How do you see the potential of this country when it comes to active development in innovation?
JJ: Costa Rica is well-developed in this space. Outside the life sciences and MedTech industries, that might not be widely known, but within the industry, it’s recognized as a top manufacturing location for MedTech. We believe we’re entering at exactly the right time.
One of the main reasons we chose Costa Rica is the talent. Compared to other options, Costa Rica has a more extensive and high-potential talent pool. People are trained, knowledgeable, and proficient in English, which makes a difference. The existing infrastructure and well-established network were also important factors. This ecosystem provides a significant opportunity not only to connect with it but also to contribute to and grow it. We plan to target several local customers and supply them directly with our products.
On the innovation side, we’re development experts. That capability isn’t widely available in Costa Rica yet, and it’s something we plan to introduce. While our first priority is high-volume manufacturing, we’d like to add development services within five years. As we build the team, we’ll evaluate how ready the local talent is to support that offering. If the skills aren’t there yet, we’ll look into pre-training or even bringing people to the U.S. for a few years before they return to Costa Rica.
Another major capability we'll be bringing is extrusion and balloon forming. Alongside that, we plan to localize certain sub-assembly processes that customers are currently sourcing outside Costa Rica. There’s a clear demand to bring that work closer to where products are being manufactured, and we see a strong opportunity to meet that need.
EF: What makes Switchboard Medical such an attractive company to work for, and why should this be the place where new Costa Rican talent should start to work?
JJ: First, the location was a key factor in choosing the Evolution Free Zone in Grecia. We’re aware there’s a strong talent pool on the west side of the metropolitan area, many of whom currently commute to places like Alajuela. We believe a more accessible site will naturally attract that talent. There’s also emerging talent from other industries based in that area, which adds to the appeal.
At Switchback, culture and people matter deeply. We pride ourselves on hiring top talent and don’t expect that to change in Costa Rica. One of our core goals is to shape a strong, positive culture, one where people genuinely want to come to work, enjoy their teams, and have fun while delivering results.
We hold high expectations for performance, but we also make space for enjoyment and connection. In Minnesota, we’ve built that through things like pickleball courts, a golf simulator and league, and trap shooting, all ways for employees to connect outside of their daily tasks but still within the workplace. Costa Rica may gravitate toward different activities, and that’s great, we’ll adapt. The aim is to create a space where people want to be.
We also embed this culture into the work itself through collaboration, connection, and shared purpose. Our hope is that new hires in Costa Rica will hear about that experience from friends or former colleagues and feel drawn to it. That’s been key to retaining talent in Minnesota, and it’s exactly what we intend to build there, too.
EF: What is your final message to our readers now that you are starting operations in Costa Rica?
JJ: Switchback is truly excited about this opportunity to expand and contribute to Costa Rica’s thriving MedTech ecosystem. We expect this to be just the; people will be hearing much more from us in the years ahead, and we’re eager to see what the future brings.
