New 38,000 sq ft R&D and industrialisation centre of excellence to take orthopaedic implants from raw material to finished device under one roof.
Croom, Co. Limerick, Ireland – Croom Medical has broken ground on a significant expansion at its manufacturing campus in Croom, Co. Limerick, marking the largest single investment in the company’s 42-year history and a significant milestone for advanced orthopaedic manufacturing in Ireland’s Mid-West.
The development, known as ACOT (Advanced Centre of Orthopaedic Technologies) is a purpose-built, 38,000 sq ft facility designed not simply to add capacity, but to establish a true R&D and industrialisation centre of excellence. ACOT will integrate the full spectrum of orthopaedic manufacturing under one roof: precision CNC machining, lights-out machining and grinding, palletised loading, multi-material additive manufacturing, vacuum furnace heat treatment, electropolishing, anodising, automated polishing and finishing, digital inspection, and clean-and-pack operations. From metal and plastic to finished implant, under one roof.
For OEM partners, ACOT will enable deeper integration across the full product lifecycle, from early-stage design and prototyping through to validated serial production, across shoulder, hip, knee, spine, trauma, and sports medicine devices. By consolidating advanced processes within a single vertically integrated facility, the centre will deliver fewer handoffs, faster time to market, and one trusted manufacturing partner.
Designed for the Future of Orthopaedics
ACOT has been designed around the direction in which the orthopaedic industry is heading: cementless fixation, robotic-assisted surgery, and additive manufacturing at scale. These trends demand advanced technology, sophisticated surface finishing, and vertically integrated supply chains. ACOT is purpose-built to deliver on each of these requirements.
Four Decades of Growth
ACOT represents the next phase in Croom Medical’s evolution. Founded by Paddy Byrnes in 1984 as a small precision engineering firm, the company has grown over more than four decades into a global manufacturing partner for leading medtech companies. Over that period, Croom Medical has invested more than €12 million in advanced technologies including additive manufacturing, automation, and new machining centres. Today, the company employs approximately 150 professionals locally and is one of the largest employers in Croom.
Croom Medical’s innovation capability has been widely recognised across the industry. In 2023, the company was named Medtech Partner/Supplier of the Year at the Irish Medtech Awards. In 2025, it received the Innovation in Engineering Award at the Irish Engineering Excellence Awards for its TALOS™ platform, a world-first metal additive manufacturing platform that enables the scalable production of tantalum-based implants.
Sustainable, Digitally Connected, Built for the Next 40 Years
ACOT is being developed with the support of Enterprise Ireland, reflecting its strategic importance to Ireland’s medical technology sector and the region’s industrial base. The facility will be solar-powered and digitally connected, reinforcing Croom Medical’s commitment to sustainable manufacturing. It will significantly enhance the company’s capacity to meet growing demand from multinational customers in Europe and North America, particularly for complex orthopaedic implants.
Patrick Byrnes, Chief Executive Officer of Croom Medical, said: “ACOT is a strategic investment designed around where this industry is going next. For our OEM partners, it means deeper integration, advanced capability, and a facility built around their roadmaps. At the same time, it creates high-value roles and long-term career opportunities here in Croom, strengthening the local economy and the community that has supported us for over four decades. This facility was built on the trust our partners place in our team, and we’re proud that our growth benefits both our global customers and the town of Croom.”
Construction of the Advanced Centre of Orthopaedic Technologies is now underway, with completion expected by the end of 2026. Once operational, the facility will play a central role in supporting Ireland’s Mid-West medtech ecosystem while reinforcing Croom Medical’s position as a full-service orthopaedic manufacturing partner for global OEMs.
About Croom Medical: Croom Medical, based in Limerick, Ireland, is a contract manufacturer with over 40 years of experience producing high-quality joint replacement implants for leading OEMs. Leveraging advanced manufacturing technologies and deep industry expertise, Croom Medical helps medical device OEMs accelerate time to market, boost production, and secure their supply chain. Its FDA-registered and ISO 13485-certified facility is supported by 150+ professionals, including an award-winning Research, Development and Innovation team.
