11th March 2013

Plaid Cymru leader and South West Wales AM visit Swansea company DTR Medical

Click here for original article by Rupert Hall.

Innovative medical engineers in Swansea have received a visit from Plaid Cymru politicians.

Party leader Leanne Wood and South Wales West Assembly Member Bethan Jenkins visited the city-based multimillion- pound company DTR Medical.

The duo’s visit was designed to highlight the work of innovative companies working in and around Swansea and South West Wales.

DTR, which stands for down the road, was launched in 2005 and grew out of an older business which was based in Ystradgynlais.

The business was created to establish a successful medical device manufacturer of own- branded sterile disposable products for use in selected surgical specialities.

Managing director Andrew Davidson said the business is part of a cluster of life science companies in South West Wales.

He added: “We work with other companies both in Swansea University and outside.”

DTR has been involved in projects including a two-year development between Swansea University’s College of Engineering and industry that is helping to create respiratory aids which mimic the performance of healthy lungs.

Mr Davidson added: “Part of the reason we ended up in Swansea was we originally started with assistance from the Welsh Rural Development Agency.

“We needed a manufacturing base and from that came everything else. We were set up to provide extra production and we were growing fast.”

The business has grown fourfold in the past five years and is predicting sustained growth over the next 12 months.

Mr Davidson said: “We needed more production and couldn’t find that anywhere in Ystradgynlais and came to Swansea.

“I have been working in and around the Swansea Valley for 17 years and it is an area that supports this sector.

“The academics, particularly at the university’s school of engineering and the Institute of Life Science, are very supportive and we do quite a lot with them.

“We give them projects and give the university projects to try and work things out on our behalf.

“They are part of our design and development team. As an SME that is a fantastic position to be in.”

DTR employs a workforce of 26 at its site on Swansea’s Enterprise Park and is looking to take on two more staff.

Miss Jenkins said: “We have to be talking about the businesses in this area that are doing well because we rely so heavily on the public sector.”