Resources
UK technology company opens its US headquarters in Maple Lawn, Maryland
27 June 2008
US Medical and Technology Communities Gain New Source of Innovation
This week, international technology company Sagentia (SGA.L), opens its new US headquarters located in Maple Lawn, MD on the Washington-Baltimore corridor – the hub of the US East Coast healthcare and life sciences business, well known for its proximity to the country’s leading healthcare organisations and resources. The office represents a consolidated focus of the company’s US operations and expansion of its US team.
From the new state-of-the-art facility Sagentia will provide breakthrough technology management and product development services to its entire North American client base. Sagentia is part of the original ‘Cambridge phenomenon’ which gave birth to a cluster of high-tech companies in the 1980s.
Sagentia recognises the value of locating its US presence in Maryland and has worked with Howard County Economic Development and the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development to make this strategic move. The innovation base is part of Sagentia’s strategy to make its technology consulting and product development services more readily available to the medical, health & wellness industries, as well as continuing to provide full support to the other core sectors in which it operates.
Paul Fearis, President of Sagentia Inc, said: “Maple Lawn offers us great new space. The office is custom designed to provide a creative atmosphere with workshop, training and creative areas for us to collaborate with our clients, alongside traditional product and business development facilities. The new location provides Sagentia easy access to potential and existing clients including The Johns Hopkins institutions – Applied Physics Lab, Medical Center and Hospital; the National Institute of Health; and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In addition, the office will enable Sagentia to host offsite and onsite meetings and workshops, providing even more of the creativity and clarity of purpose it has become known for.”
Official guests who also ‘dedicated’ the British, State and County flags as part of the opening, included; the first secretary of the British Embassy, the deputy secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development and the Howard County Executive. Sagentia hosted these and other guests who attended from the local business community, plus clients including local inventor Kristen Appel, Founder/CEO of Encorepath, who demonstrated her new physical therapy product, ‘Tailwind’, that Sagentia helped develop, to guests and the media.
Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley commented: “In today’s highly competitive economy, I am extremely pleased that Sagentia has chosen Maryland for its new US headquarters. With one of the nation’s largest and most active IT and software clusters and highest concentration of professional and technical workers, Maryland is well positioned to support the companies and jobs of tomorrow.”
Ken Ulman, Howard County Executive, stated: “Howard County is expecting our businesses and the businesses in the greater region to benefit from Sagentia being located close to them. We believe there will be many ‘win, win’ business solutions come as a result of Sagentia’s presence in our county.”
Paul Fearis, President of Sagentia Inc, stated: “The area has already presented some interesting opportunities. Local inventor Kristen Appel, President and CEO of Encore Path based in Baltimore, Maryland, came to us with a stroke physical therapy device idea she needed to mature into a viable product that could be mass produced and delivered to the stroke patient and medical communities. The device, now named Tailwind, helps paralysed stroke patients recover more quickly. We worked with Kristen to transform a scientific prototype into a world-first product that has the ability to dramatically aid patients in regaining motor skills and coordination. This is a major part of their recovery because it improves physical abilities that once were lost. The product is now transitioning into manufacture.”
Dr Alistair Brown, CEO of Sagentia, said: “This is a significant step for us. It consolidates our American operations to a single site, near Washington DC and is part of a wider growth plan for the business. Healthcare and wellness are significant growth markets, particularly in developed economies such as the USA. Our close proximity to the country’s leading healthcare organizations and resources including Johns Hopkins, America’s first research university, will provide excellent opportunities for us. It’s also a region that offers a great quality of life for employees – and people are the absolute heart of our business.”
Sagentia’s current clients range from large corporations including Pfizer, Proctor and Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Thermatru, Markem & CHF Solutions, to start up companies and inventors such as Kurzweil Technologies and St. Jude Medical. Maple Lawn is served by an excellent regional transportation network and is only minutes away from major business centres, government agencies and research universities.
