The growing trend of medtech manufacturers and suppliers purchasing other companies in an effort to drive innovation and meet increasingly demanding customer needs continues with ARCH Medical Solutions Corporation acquiring Alpha Manufacturing & Design.

ARCH Medical offers precision manufacturing in the orthopedics, surgical robotics, dental, and life sciences markets, whereas Alpha is a precision contract manufacturer for the orthopedic industry, specializing in highly engineered and complex surgical devices for spine, trauma, large joint, and dental applications. Among the manufacturing capabilities of Alpha are surgical instruments and assemblies; surgical drill bits and reamers; surgical blades; and spinal, trauma, and dental implants.

The acquisition, announced Nov. 15, adds to the depth and breadth of the ARCH Medical portfolio of precision-manufacturing solutions for medical OEMs and further solidifies the company’s position as a leading, diversified supplier in the medical device contract manufacturing market.

According to Paul Barck, divisional president at ARCH Medical, Alpha is “a sought-after supplier for deep technical expertise, high standards for quality, and being a reliable, committed manufacturing partner.”

With Alpha located near Warsaw, Indiana, ARCH Medical gains “access to a well-established orthopedics manufacturing infrastructure while furthering the ARCH strategy of geographically co-locating with our medical device customer base,” Barck noted.

“The diverse capabilities and innovation Alpha brings us enables us to deliver on our promise to provide forward-thinking support to our customers,” added John Ruggieri, senior vice president of business development at ARCH Medical. “We are now even better equipped to answer the call from our customers in the orthopedic, dental, spine, and medical device sectors.”

ARCH Medical is confident that having Alpha as part of the company will enable the combined manufacturers “to drive accelerating growth with new and existing customers in the orthopedic market,” Ruggieri said.

Being acquired “is a monumental step in our evolution,” said Ben Garden, co-owner and operator of Alpha, who will continue to serve as president of the Kosciusko County site, with a name change to ARCH Medical Solutions – Warsaw. “We now are part of a much larger organization with access to capital and resources that will prove invaluable in our mission to meet our customers’ unique, ever-changing needs. This was the move to make as the medical industry continues to change and grow at an increasingly accelerated pace.”

The recent acquisition spree of medtech manufacturers or suppliers include Trelleborg Group acquiring Minnesota Rubber & Plastics, a manufacturer of polymer and thermoplastic components; and Solesis, the parent company of Secant Group, purchasing Polyzen, a developer and manufacturer of polymer-based film and coating technologies for the medical device and biopharmaceutical industries.

Conversely, some major OEMs have taken the opposite strategy, with spinoffs of their internal business units into standalone companies. Earlier this year, InnoSIGN completed its separation from Philips and 3M uncoupled its healthcare unit. Metronic also severed its patient monitoring and respiratory interventions businesses in October.