Medtronic Celebrates 75 Years

Alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life. That’s the mission of Medtronic. 

This year, the medical device company is celebrating 75 years in business by reflecting on the transformative power of its mission and honoring the dedicated people who work to make the mission a reality. 

The company’s roots began in a Minneapolis garage.

At that time, the so-called “garage gang” focused on repairing medical electronics. 

But it was in 1956 when the company truly began its revolution. 

Collaboration

When the city lost power, cardiac surgeon Dr. Walton Lillehei and Medtronic co-founder Earl Bakken teamed up to create a battery-powered portable pacemaker. 

Since then, Medtronic has pioneered other break-through technologies and is constantly redefining treatments for over 70 conditions in the human body, from heart disease to diabetes. 

In recent years, the team unveiled its robotic-assisted surgery system, which has been used for patient procedures around the globe. 

Today, the company employs over 95,000 people. 

Thousands are employed in Connecticut where Medtronic has its most diverse technical design center.

The company also invests more than $350 million in the Connecticut supply chain, contributing significantly to the economy.