THUNDER BAY – Tornado Medical Systems (TMS), a company closely connected to Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute, are announcing the first wave of recruitment to build its Thunder Bay product development team. TMS has grown quickly, with over 20 employees in 4 locations, and has launched its first two products with great success in the medical imaging and spectroscopy markets. “Here in Thunder Bay, we have established strong ties with TBRRI, including formal R&D collaborations to develop two novel medical imaging devices,” says Stefan Larson, CEO of Tornado Medical Systems. “Our work together was recognized last year by Industry Canada through the award of two separate funding grants from the Precarn ‘Technology Gap’ program – the first time in the program’s history that one company has received two simultaneous awards.”
TMS is now actively seeking senior and junior software developers, senior and junior electrical, mechanical and optical engineers, and experienced engineering project managers located in Thunder Bay. A recruitment drive is being held Friday, February 18th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the CEDC office located in the Whalen Building, with a special presentation at noon.
In August 2010, in partnership with Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC), TMS announced the establishment of a new state-of-the-art product development facility in the historic Whalen building.
“It’s now time to fill our new home with the scientists and engineers that will develop and build the next generation of Tornado’s medical devices and bring them to the global market,” Larson says.
“Today marks another milestone in the evolution of the Thunder Bay economy,” said Bill Mauro, MPP for Thunder Bay – Atikokan. “Knowledge based jobs continue to help grow and diversify our employment base to the benefit of us all and provide opportunity for our young people in this sector.”
“This is a clear example of how far our scientists at TBRRI have come with their research. We have leading medical imaging devices ready for development and that research is now generating jobs in Thunder Bay,” says Michael Power, CEO, TBRRI. “This is the beginning of an exciting new market in medical innovation that is emerging in Thunder Bay.”
The recruitment drive will be an opportunity for interested candidates to meet with TMS engineering managers and learn more about the design and development that goes into building medical imaging devices right here in Thunder Bay. Larson and Power both credit the ongoing support of the provincial, federal and municipal governments for the new emergence of the new medical industry in Thunder Bay.
“The province of Ontario is proud to support work to develop important new diagnostics for the treatment and diagnosis of cancer, including over $7.1 million in grant funding in 2009-2010 to TBRRI through the Ontario Research Fund,” says Michael Gravelle, MPP Thunder Bay-Superior North, Minister of Northern Development, Mines & Forestry. “Today’s announcement means more innovative healthcare technology is on its way, and we are pleased to see this recruitment drive which is a result of TBRRI’s leadership and support for the growth of the ICT cluster [Information Communication Technology] in Northwestern Ontario,” MPP Gravelle added.