NEWS AND COMMUNITY
Catheter Research, Inc. Annual ESOP Meeting and Easter Egg Hunt
April 21, 2011
IUPUI Senior Biomedical Engineering Design Class
April 15, 2011
ESOP Announcement and Annual Holiday Feast
December 22, 2010
United Christmas Service 2010
December 17, 2010
CRI Welcomes VP of Operations - Phil Sheingold
November 29, 2010
Thanksgiving Campaign 2010
November 19, 2010
CRI Employees Receive Flu Shots
October 22, 2010
Team CRI/Thomas Medical Participates in 2010 ACS Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
October 16, 2010
CRI Welcomes VP of Sales & Marketing - Robert O’Brien
October 13, 2010
CRI Selected to Manufacture FlowCo LumenRECON Guidewire
September 09, 2010
2010 CRI School Supply Drive
August 04, 2010
2010 Memorial Day Drive
May 27, 2010
IUPUI Senior Biomedical Engineering Design Class
April 23, 2010
Catheter Research, Inc. Annual ESOP Meeting
April 9, 2010
Employees of CRI donate to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development
February 15, 2010
CRI Welcomes Biomedical Engineer Jane N. Nguyen
January 01, 2010
CRI Welcomes Biomedical Engineer Nathan D. Glass
December 15, 2009
CRI Participates in United Christmas Service Donor Program
December 03, 2009
Thanksgiving Campaign 2009
November 18, 2009
Team CRI/ Thomas Medical participates in the American Cancer Society Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk
October 17, 2009
Catheter Research, Inc. Annual ESOP Meeting and Easter Egg Hunt
April 21, 2011
On Thursday, April 21st 2011, the employees of CRI held their second annual ESOP meeting. This marked the first meeting after CRI purchased the remaining stock of the company from President, John Steen. CRI is now 100% employee owned!
The CRI management team prepared an educational presentation designed to help employees understand an ESOP, including their benefits and responsibilities as employee-owners. Chief Operating Officer, Christine Cook; VP of Operations, Phil Sheingold; and Financial Controller, Kashif Qasim all participated in the employee presentation. CRI ESOP Trustee, Steve Thompson, CPA, also attended the meeting. Employees received their 2010 ESOP Participation Statements which included a letter of appreciation from President John Steen for their great efforts during the past year.
The ESOP meeting was held on Thursday before Good Friday, which is a CRI company holiday. CRI used this opportunity to celebrate the Easter weekend with a company luncheon and the annual Easter Egg Hunt for the employees. Several lucky employees received cash prizes for finding just the right eggs!
IUPUI Senior Biomedical Engineering Design Class
April 15, 2011
Each Spring, CRI invites Professor William Combs and his Senior Biomedical Engineering Design students from IUPUI to visit Catheter Research and tour its facilities. This year, 24 students came to get a first hand look at our medical device design and manufacturing operations.
The visit began with a catered lunch and introductions of CRI Engineers and Management, who explained their experience, background, and primary day-to-day job responsibilities. In turn, the students introduced themselves and their main area of interest in the field of Biomedical Engineering. CRI President John Steen advised that “if you’re the type of person who likes to get things done, and see finalized products, then manufacturing is the field for you.”
The students went on a plant tour lead by CRI Chief Operating Officer, Christine Cook, and VP of Operations, Phil Sheingold. Following the tour they gathered for a presentation about CRI, the types of engineers and responsibilities required by a manufacturing company, useful undergraduate skills, and some helpful advice on what employers might be looking for. The students ended the day by presenting their Senior Design Projects to CRI engineers and management.
ESOP Announcement and Annual Holiday Feast
December 22, 2010
On Wednesday, December 22nd, CRI held its annual Holiday luncheon, complete with a wonderful catered meal, door prizes, and cash awards! With everyone dressed in their special holiday fashions, it was a great time to celebrate the close of another great year at CRI.
Just before the luncheon, CRI President John Steen announced that the company was now 100% owned by its employees. The transactions to move CRI from a 30% ESOP company (only 30% of the company’s stock owned by employees) to a 100% employee-owned company were completed on December 21st. John congratulated the employees on a successful year, and thanked them for their hard work and dedication to our customers and our future. As employee owners, CRI employees now have an added incentive to continue building CRI into a first-class, preferred manufacturing partner for the medical device industry.
United Christmas Service 2010
December 17, 2010
In December, CRI employees continued their tradition of participating with Central Indiana’s United Christmas Service. We supported two families with gifts of toys, games, clothing, food, and gift cards contributed by our employees. After an afternoon gift-wrapping party, CRI employees delivered Christmas gifts and stockings to two very appreciative families – families who were able to bring smiles to their children’s faces thanks to the continued generosity and compassion of CRI and its employees.
CRI Welcomes VP of Operations - Phil Sheingold
November 29, 2010
Phil comes to CRI with a chemical engineering degree from Cal Poly University, and 25 years of experience in operations, engineering, and logistics. As Engineer, Plant Manager and Director of Operations, Phil’s prior focus was in food and beverage manufacturing for such companies as Frito-Lay, Gatorade, and other industry leaders. His international experience includes engineering and operations in Europe, Canada, and Mexico, where he was responsible for new plant construction, equipment design, capital improvements, and budget responsibilities exceeding $100 million.
Prior to joining CRI, Phil managed over 600 employees and the entire North American supply chain for Brightpoint. He also served as COO of Signcraft, a market leader in identity solutions, where he assisted in acquiring several companies to grow the company and increase its market presence.
Phil was one of the first HACCP Engineers for Frito-Lay and implemented changes through programs throughout the company. He is a continuing student of key systems and processes including Six Sigma, ISO, TQM, Lean manufacturing, and RFID technology.
Thanksgiving Campaign 2010
November 19, 2010
The 2010 CRI Thanksgiving Campaign included three ways for CRI employees to participate and give back to their community. The first part of the campaign was in conjunction with Duke Realty, and their annual Food Drive. During the first weeks of November, CRI employees donated non-perishable food items and filled the Duke Realty box to the top!
Next, CRI organized their own food drive, with the goal of providing complete Thanksgiving meals to families in need. A local church provided the names of three families that were in desperate need. CRI employees responded eagerly and filled twelve baskets with canned goods, crackers, drinks, fruit, fresh produce, books and games – enough that we were able to give four filled baskets to each family! CRI added a ham, a turkey, and a grocery gift card for each family. Not only did the families get the complete Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings, but CRI employees provided enough groceries to help them for weeks after!
The final portion of the Thanksgiving Campaign was a donation to Wheeler Mission Ministries, Inc for their annual Thanksgiving meal. CRI held a pizza fundraiser by providing pizza for the entire company, asking employees to donate the cost of the meal. Once again, our employees responded and we met our goal!
CRI Employees Receive Flu Shots
October 22, 2010
One of the areas in which CRI prides itself is in caring for its employees. And, we recognize the importance of helping keep our employees – and their families – healthy. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses, so we decided this would be an excellent additional benefit for our employees this year.
In past years, CRI has reimbursed employees for the cost of flu shots, but this year we decided to bring the flu shots directly to the employees! Health professionals from Walgreens set up shop in CRI’s offices and administered flu shots to anyone in the company wanting to be vaccinated. Nearly 65% of our employees took advantage of these flu shots – at no cost to them.
Team CRI/Thomas Medical Participates in 2010 ACS Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
October 16, 2010
CRI/Thomas Medical employees, family, and friends joined together to form the 2nd annual Team CRI/ Thomas Medical to participate in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. The primary focus of this event is to increase awareness and raise funds for breast cancer research.
In the weeks prior to the walk, raffles were organized to help employees raise funds. Employees donated homemade crafts, a cake decorated in pink, assorted hats, Avon products, and purses for the raffles. The company also raffled paid days off, and matched the full amount of the 50/50 raffle.
Team CRI/Thomas was represented by eighteen walkers at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk on October 16, 2010, and we donated $1500 to the American Cancer Society.
CRI Welcomes VP of Sales & Marketing - Robert O’Brien
October 13, 2010
Robert comes to CRI with 30 years of corporate experience, having worked for several publicly traded consumer electronics companies. After receiving his undergraduate engineering degree from Purdue, Robert started his career in manufacturing at RCA. While working in various engineering roles for the company, Robert authored and currently holds five US patents in electrical design, and received his Masters in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University.
Utilizing both his work experience and his new education, Robert moved to the Sales and Marketing side of business. During this time he focused on product planning & development, training, marketing, and sales, serving international customers in Central and South America. He is also a certified Six Sigma Black Belt.
Robert’s initial focus will be OB/GYN sales for the Thomas Medical division while supporting CRI contract manufacturing sales.
CRI Selected to Manufacture FlowCo LumenRECON Guidewire
September 9, 2010
Catheter Research, Inc. has been awarded a contract with FlowCo, Inc. for the manufacture of LumenRECON guidewires.
LumenRECON is a new arterial imaging device that is intended to be a less expensive and more accurate alternative to the current technology, Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS), the LumenRECON guidewire uses electricity to gauge arterial characteristics and measurements. It provides a real-time digital reading to determine the placement and sizing of stents.
The LumenRECON device was invented by Dr. Ghassan Kassab, a biomedical engineer and IUPUI professor, and founder of FlowCo. CRI was involved in the initial development of LumenRECON.
After an extensive bidding and review process, FlowCo CEO, Bill McConnell, personally awarded the contract to CRI. "We are excited to be working with Catheter Research,” said McConnell. “Their people, their partnering spirit, their capability and their commitment to our success make them the ideal organization to help us move to the next stage of our company development."
2010 CRI School Supply Drive
August 4, 2010
On August 4, various staff members of CRI assisted with the distribution of 80 backpacks filled with school supplies. These backpacks were distributed to CRI’s hourly employees with school-age children and were filled with paper, pens, notebooks, glue, markers, pencil boxes and other supplies that would be needed for children in grades K – 12.
This was the second year for the CRI School Supply Drive, having started in 2009 when the HR Manager, Carolyn Dowd, came up with the idea after hearing a radio announcement about a similar project in Indianapolis. Thinking it would be a great way to give back to our employees, she approached the management staff with the idea – and an annual project was born.
Again this year, managers, engineers, and front office staff contributed the funds and the supplies were purchased during the last week of July. Then a group of employees volunteered their time to to pack all the supplies in the backpacks and label them prior to distribution. The time and effort was well worth it as we watched the line grow longer and longer with excited parents ready to take the colorful backpacks home. Many employees expressed their thanks for this wonderful gift and told us how excited they were to have the backpacks filled and ready for their children!
2010 Memorial Day Drive
May 27, 2010
In honor of Memorial Day, CRI employees maintained their tradition of remembering America’s fallen soldiers. Our employees raised money by purchasing raffle tickets for a chance to win cash and prizes. All proceeds raised by the employees were met dollar-for-dollar by CRI management.
This year, we honored the sacrifice of Brandon A. Barrett, who died while supporting combat operations in Afghanistan. CRI employees honored Brandon with a moment of silence during an employee meeting, and sent notes of tribute and remembrance to Brandon’s family along with a monetary donation in his memory.
IUPUI Senior Biomedical Engineering Design Class
April 23, 2010
The students of William Combs’ Senior Biomedical Engineering Design Class (BME 49200) were invited to visit CRI, to get a first-hand look at a medical device manufacturing and design company. When the students arrived, General Manager, Christine Cook took them on a plant tour so they could see some of the materials and processes as product was being assembled . Following the plant tour, CRI treated them to a catered lunch, during which they interacted with employees from CRI’s Engineering and Quality departments.
With just a few weeks before graduation, these biomedical engineering design students took this opportunity to share their senior design presentations with classmates and CRI staff members. General Manager Cook stated, “The students from Bill Combs’ Biomedical Engineering Design class are an exceptionally bright and talented group of young people. It bodes well for the future of Indiana and the healthcare industry that such talent will be helping to find new and exciting treatment solutions for the industry and the entire medical field ”
Catheter Research, Inc. Annual ESOP Meeting
April 9, 2010
On Friday, April 9, 2010, the employees of CRI held their annual ESOP meeting. During that meeting, the employees heard a “state of the company” address from President, John A. Steen, and from General Manager, Christine Cook. Employees received their 2009 participation statements, and Dr. Steen expressed his appreciation to all employees and owners of the company, stating, “…thank you for all of your contributions to the success of Catheter Research…a company in which you have a growing ownership!”
CRI ESOP Trustee, Mr. Steve Thompson, CPA, of Trusted Advisor Services, also addressed the employees and made a brief ESOP educational presentation . He congratulated all employees for their excellent management of the entire business of CRI, which resulted in an outstanding increment of 36% in share value for the year ending December 31, 2009 when compared to the prior year.
Employees of CRI donate to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development
February 15, 2010
On January 12, a series of earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 6.5 to 7.3 devastated Haiti. Shortly thereafter, CRI employees started bringing in donations to help the earthquake victims. CRI president John Steen quickly noticed the generosity of the employees and offered a dollar-for-dollar match by CRI. A check for $1,000 was sent on January 22, 2010.
CRI Welcomes Biomedical Engineer Jane N. Nguyen
January 01, 2010
Jane Nguyen has recently joined CRI as a Biomedical Engineer.
Nguyen received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from Texas A&M University, with minors in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics. While pursuing her degree, Jane worked with the Space Engineering Institute working on an autonomous robot cooperative system, a joint project with Texas A&M and NASA. She was part of a co-op program with The Texas Heart Institute in Houston and worked with the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M supporting pathologists in the analysis of cardiovascular pathology in various biomedical devices.
Nguyen moved to Indianapolis at the end of December. As a member of the engineering team, she helps drive development projects for catheter applications.
CRI Welcomes Biomedical Engineer Nathan D. Glass
December 15, 2009
Nathan Glass has recently joined CRI as a Biomedical Engineer.
Mr. Glass received his Bachelor of Science degree through Purdue University, with a minor in Chemistry. While pursuing his degree, he worked on several medical design projects and also studied computer aided design and economic theory. Mr. Glass began his career in 2001 as a Pharmacy Technician, compounding patient-specific medications in a highly regulated inpatient hospital setting in Indianapolis. He also chaired the Department of Pharmacy Technology for National College in Indianapolis.
His main responsibilities at CRI include product development and design, biomaterials research and sourcing. He is also involved in the design of product manufacturing processes and process improvements.
CRI Participates in United Christmas Service Donor Program
December 03, 2009
Christmas is the season of giving and for Christmas 2009, CRI ‘adopted’ two large families from the United Christmas Service Donor Program. Wish lists were compiled for members of each family, and employees selected gifts to purchase. Clothes, shoes, coats, household items, toys, books, and other items were collected throughout December.
The gifts were delivered to the families on the Friday before Christmas. At one location, the school social worker was there and wrote the following Thank-You message to CRI employees; “You all really went over the top with this. I believe (the family members) were genuinely speechless. I too was struggling with words. We all thank you all so very much. This experience for all has been terrific.” Jim Oakley - School Social Worker IPS #27 & 384. December 03, 2009
Thanksgiving Campaign 2009
November 18, 2009
During the month of November, employees were reminded that CRI is more than just a great company to work for – it is a place to practice friendship, learn respect for others, and encourage a sense of community. Part of our responsibility to our community is to take care of people less fortunate. Employees took this to heart, and donated generously to the Wheeler Mission and its annual Thanksgiving Day dinner.
Employees also brought in non-perishable food items to donate to four local families in need. CRI provided whole turkeys and hams along with grocery-store gift cards. Everything needed for a complete Thanksgiving meal was delivered to the families a few days before the Holiday.
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Team CRI/Thomas Medical participates in the American Cancer Society Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk
October 17, 2009
On Saturday, October 17, 2009, employees and friends formed Team CRI/ Thomas Medical to participate in the American Cancer Society Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk.The team members endured a brisk and windy three mile walk in downtown Indianapolis.
In the weeks prior to the walk, all employees of CRI participated in various fundraising efforts including a raffle in which General Manager Christine Cook, and VP of Operations Gary Cerasale, personally delivered a home cooked meal for the lucky winner. Altogether, CRI was able to contribute nearly $1,500 to the American Cancer Society.
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