Do you ever drive around town and see a sign for a business and ask yourself, “I wonder what they do there?” Some businesses are pretty obvious – Sunoco Gas, CVS, Cambridge Savings Bank, etc… But what about some of the others?
Our mission is to answer the question – What do they do there anyway?
Werfen – 180 Hartwell Rd.
On Hartwell Road, across the street from the Edge Sports center, is the site of one of the largest employers (approximately 1,000 employees) in Bedford. Werfen is a Spanish company whose corporate headquarters are based in Barcelona. Their site in Bedford is their headquarters and technology center for hemostasis and acute care diagnostics.
Long-time residents may remember Instrumentation Laboratory, which started in Cambridge in 1959, moved to Lexington, and eventually landed at their current Bedford location in 2008. Werfen acquired Instrumentation Laboratory in 1991 with the name changed to Werfen several years ago.
Since the beginning, the company has been extremely innovative, developing significant “firsts” in the field of medical diagnostics.
Their location in Bedford has allowed them to expand their footprint in the community, including the addition of a new building that will host many of their Research and Development employees when construction is completed in early 2025.
So, what do they do there anyway?
Werfen is a medical equipment manufacturer that makes specialized diagnostic products used in hospitals and laboratories and commercial laboratories. If you have ever gone to a phlebotomy clinic to get your blood drawn, and see all sorts of lab equipment behind the glass, most likely some of it is from Werfen. They do much more than that, but at its simplest terms, that’s a large part of what they do.
Here’s what their website says:
Werfen is a worldwide leader in specialized diagnostics, focused on Hemostasis, Acute Care, Transfusion, Autoimmunity and Transplant products and services. Our passion for innovation and commitment to global health drives us to deliver new solutions — to address healthcare challenges. From hospital and commercial laboratories to Cardiovascular Operating Rooms, Intensive Care Units and Emergency Departments, our integrated analyzers, reagents and data management solutions help clinicians and laboratorians improve quality and efficiency, and ultimately, enhance patient care.
What’s going on with the addition?
Part of the strategic plan of Werfen is to invest in more digital solutions. The company started what they call the Digital Factory, based in Bedford. Sally McCraven, Senior Director of Worldwide Communications, said that testing blood is only one aspect of what Werfen does.
“Providing digital management solutions that enable our customers to check the status and manage their analyzers remotely adds tremendous efficiency to their workflows, and is a big part of the focus for Werfen,” McCraven said.
The Digital Factory is how they do that. She says, “They’re quickly outgrowing their space, and will be moving into the new building in the coming months and expanding over time.”
Werfen and the Bedford Community
Werfen/Instrumentation Laboratory has been an important part of the Bedford community since they arrived here in 2008. They won The Business of the Year Award from the Bedford Chamber of Commerce in 2018 and as active members of the Bedford Educational Foundation, they were honored for a program they arranged for the John Glenn Middle School students who spent the afternoon touring the manufacturing facility and learning about opportunities in the healthcare field. In addition, they have frequently hosted tours for Bedford High School students to pique interest in pursuing careers in STEM.
They also provide $20,000 to Middlesex Community College which has a campus in Bedford. This supports students who would benefit from financial assistance while also demonstrating interest in a STEM or healthcare career.
Werfen also sponsors many other events in Bedford, and they are one of The Bedford Citizen’s matching sponsors.
Do you work for an interesting company in town or know of one? The Citizen would like to hear from you.
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