Medtronic is shutting down some or all of its manufacturing at a Colorado facility, potentially putting jobs on the line.
 
The plant, acquired as part of its $50 billion purchase of Covidien, manufactures electrosurgical pencils and surgical energy return pads, as well as hosts a research and development facility. It currently employs about 1,700.
 
A spokesperson for Dublin-based Medtronic confirmed the shifting operations to the Longmont Times-Call on Monday.
 
“We announced to our employees today the move of two manufacturing lines to other facilities,” Medtronic’s John Jordan told the newspaper. “This is a multi-year project. At this time no positions are being impacted.”
 
R&D jobs seem less likely to be affected with the news than those in manufacturing.
 
Spokesman Jordan noted that research and development work is done side-by-side with the manufacture of new products at the company’s Colorado campus. As soon as products have been deemed “mature,” or significantly developed, those projects will be moved to other facilities.