Member Article

Leeds Bradford Airport and Surgical Innovations welcome influential Japanese investor

Leeds Bradford Airport and Surgical Innovations (SI) - a designer and manufacturer of creative solutions for minimally invasive surgery - welcomed an influential Japanese investor to the region this week.

The president and chief executive of AMCO, Akihito Koshikawa, flew to Leeds Bradford from Tokyo with British Airways to visit Surgical Innovation’s headquarters in Leeds.

The visit highlights the importance of Leeds Bradford Airport’s British Airways service to facilitate inbound investment opportunities and develop international business growth for the region.

Akihiro Koshikawa spent two days at Surgical Innovations with co-founder Professor Mike McMahon and CEO Graham Bowland, where he participated in a tour of their design and manufacturing facilities.

He also met key members of SI’s team, including designers, to discuss current and future product developments.

Headquartered in Tokyo and with six regional offices across Japan, AMCO is a private company established in 1951 employing 180 people.

The company sell a range of medical devices including SI’s pioneering range of Resposable laparoscopic instruments, which combines reusable and single use elements, to offer high quality, cost effective solutions.

Akihiro Koshikawa, president of AMCO, said: “Good connectivity with British Airways from Tokyo to Leeds makes business trips like this much easier and helps build stronger relationships between our two countries.

“I now look forward to welcoming the Surgical Innovations to Japan later this month to discuss further joint business activity.

He added: “ Surgical Innovations has transformed in size since my last visit to the Leeds city region so it was important to see the huge amounts of investment the company has made in terms of design and manufacturing and also meet the people behind the products.“

Graham Bowland, CEO of Surgical Innovations, said: “As an export focused company looking to expand their global presence, it is important that there is a strong international airport here in Leeds.

We regularly have global partners visiting our head office in order to strengthen business relationships, and they are always impressed by what the Region has to offer.

“The ability to fly into Leeds makes this so much easier to facilitate.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mark Lane .