When you consider that Arthrex innovates over 1,000 new products a year you may think of the engineers, manufacturing employees and the logistics that are required to put them into surgeons' hands.
But a crucial part of that process lies in designing the packaging to house those products and deliver them safely to hospitals and surgery centers.
“Packaging engineering is an important component in Arthrex’s mission of Helping Surgeons Treat Their Patients Better®,” said Principal Engineer - Packaging Rodney Flores Febles. “Packaging needs to protect the products in a cost-effective way, while considering the impact that packaging will have on the environment and our suppliers. We’re the last step in the design chain and the package can make or break a project.”
Twenty-two full-time engineers are dedicated to designing that packaging across all the product lines. As the company continues to grow, so does the need for the best packaging engineers. That’s where the Arthrex co-op program comes in.
“Co-ops are hired for six months, which is longer than a traditional internship,” said College Relations Supervisor Alyssa McCoy. “Students gain real world experience in their field and also get academic credit for their work. Arthrex has had a good return on investment by fostering a strong talent pipeline for future employees.”
Arthrex recruits packaging engineering students from Clemson and Michigan State universities, which have the largest academic programs in the field.
“Some of our strongest junior engineers have come from these co-op programs,” said Principal Packaging Engineer David Yanzer. “It’s exciting to support the students' development and growth and see them succeed. It takes a collective effort of the entire Packaging Engineering department, along with people across the company to make this program so successful.”
Representatives from Arthrex travel to both universities to meet prospective co-ops and find the students who fit best for the program.
“It’s a unique situation where we choose the students, but they also have to choose us,” David said. “We rank our top student candidates, and they rank the companies. When we have a match, then we’re able to make offers to them to join us as co-ops.”
Arthrex typically hires an average of eight packaging engineering co-ops for a six-month term each year to work at the global headquarters in Naples, Florida, or at the manufacturing plants in Ave Maria, Florida or Pendleton, South Carolina. Clemson students who want to stay in the area for their six-month co-op experience are encouraged to apply for a packaging engineering co-op focused on the manufacturing side of the process.
“We work in tandem with the team in Naples as they develop the packaging design, and we offer manufacturing feedback,” said Manager - Packaging Engineering Matt Swendrzynski, who runs the co-op program in Pendelton. “Once they finalize the design, we take over and get the tooling and packing materials needed to move it into production and produce the final package.”
A Clemson graduate himself; Matt says the university’s packaging engineering degree has helped shape the entire department at the South Carolina manufacturing facility.
“It’s a pipeline for us, in fact three of the first four hires on our team were all Clemson - Arthrex co-ops,” Matt said. “For students who want to stay in South Carolina, this experience is a win-win. If they want to stay in their own apartments with a roommate they know, this is a real perk. If they want to get away, they can apply to a co-op in Florida. But if they want to stay close, it’s great to have an option right down the road.”
For the students who do want to spend six months in Florida, Arthrex pulls out all the stops to make it an unforgettable experience.
“The culture here is just phenomenal – I love it,” said 24-year-old Engineering Co-Op Haley Hodge, who just graduated from Michigan State with a master’s degree in Packaging Science. “Arthrex offers so much to us, from the work experience to providing access to all the amenities and financial assistance for moving.
Students just need to bring a good work ethic and a willingness to jump in and learn.
“Arthrex not only offers us invaluable engineering experience, but they paid for us to be certified in AutoCAD (Computer-Aided Design) software,” said 21-year-old Engineering Co-Op Xander Null, who is a junior at Clemson University, majoring in packaging engineering. “We’re also offered training in financial literacy, resume building and the option to take self-development classes for free through Arthrex University. We’re also given networking opportunities throughout the company. Most of the co-ops from different departments become friends outside of work, too.”
From the professional development opportunities to making personal connections, the co-op program has been carefully designed to attract the best students and build the pipeline of top talent.
“Most packaging programs don’t have classes dedicated to medical devices, so this co-op gives the industry and Arthrex a chance to connect with these students early on and introduce them to this exciting field,” said Talent Acquisition Specialist-College Relations Maylis Broderick. “It’s a win for our Packaging team, too. We’ve seen a lot of success with our co-ops becoming full-time employees after graduation.”
Packaging Engineer II Nathan Lie moved to Naples after graduating from Michigan State and accepting a full-time job at Arthrex in 2021. He learned about the company during a career fair and landed a position as a co-op during his junior year in college.
“Coming to Arthrex was the best opportunity that I ever had,” Nathan said. “I didn’t know where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do initially. After discovering the opportunities in the medical device field, I knew it was the perfect fit.”
Packaging Engineer II Ashley Kirk graduated from Clemson in 2022, after working as a co-op at Arthrex in 2021.
“My co-op was one of the best semesters of my college experience,” Ashley said. “I learned the ins and out of being a packaging engineer at Arthrex and that made the transition to working here full-time truly seamless. I picked right up where I left off and was able to jump into my own projects.”
And that is exactly how the program is designed in order to attract – and keep – the best talent at Arthrex.
“We’re investing in them as people and in their future careers, which is a win-win,” Rodney said. “Our co-ops have such a strong reputation they get job offers from our suppliers, too. But if there’s a position open here, and we find the right cultural fit, they’re hired.”
