By Sean Fenske, Editor-in-Chief

The contract manufacturing sector is experiencing a shift. As medical device OEMs seek partners that offer broader capabilities under one roof, service-provider organizations are growing their offerings through organic and inorganic means. This typically involves expanding proficiencies that take place before and after the native manufacturing competencies.

The result of this transition has been the emergence of more contract design and manufacturing organizations (CDMO). Contract manufacturers have bolstered their investments in the R&D and design portions of their companies. Forward-thinking firms, however, have sought to enhance their abilities through the incorporation of automation solutions, as well. In addition, a change in mindset that focuses on the patient further differentiates this new breed of service providers.

Reflecting on the emergence of one such organization is Dylan Hushka, CEO of Precera Medical, and Chris Qualters, Operating Director at SK Capital and Board Member of Precera Medical. In the following Q&A, they explain the planning that went into molding an established entity into a new vision and what impact they expect the firm to have on the MedTech manufacturing sector.

Sean Fenske: Why was SK Capital interested in the medical device CDMO space, and what made this acquisition so compelling?

Chris Qualters: SK Capital has a track record of investing in critical, science-driven industries, and medical technology is one of the most dynamic growth sectors in the world. Our recent investment in Spectrum Vascular, which focuses on innovative vascular access technologies, reinforced our conviction in the MedTech space and the importance of specialized manufacturing partnerships. The CDMO space, in particular, is at an inflection point: OEMs are looking for fewer, deeper partnerships with suppliers who can handle scale, complexity, and reliability across multiple modalities.

What made this acquisition compelling is the combination of a highly skilled team, deep customer partnerships, a proven 75-plus-year heritage in precision manufacturing, and an opportunity to deploy capital to accelerate automation, capacity, and strategic growth. It’s really about enabling Precera Medical to do more of what it does extremely well, while setting new standards of precision, automation, and agility to create meaningful value all around.

Fenske: So, what does it mean for a more than 75-year-old CDMO to start a new chapter with private equity backing?

Dylan Hushka: It’s a rare combination of history and transformation. For more than seven decades, this company has delivered excellence in precision contract manufacturing. I’ve experienced this firsthand as a former customer. The technology and talent are world-class, and I’m honored to be part of the team. With SK’s support, we can honor that legacy while moving into a new era of scale and innovation. The PE model brings industry and application expertise with agile and focused investments. We can deploy capital quickly, integrate automation early, expand capacity and footprint well in advance, and take a “Field of Dreams” approach where if we build it early, they (customer engineering and sourcing experts) will come. This includes dedicated rapid prototyping cells for early-stage R&D programs and exploring strategic M&A to expand and complement our suite of capabilities for critical customer programs. For employees, it’s celebrating and expanding their incredible customer focus and talent. For customers, it’s about partnership in de-risking programs and having needs met before they’re even current needs.

Fenske: Can you please expand on that “Field of Dreams” approach—if you build it, they will come. How does this apply to your facility strategy and capital deployment?

Qualters: In this industry, capacity and capability lags can stall programs. Our philosophy is to invest ahead of demand, not behind it. That means early and aggressive capital expenditure in high-precision machining centers, robotics, real-time quality control, and automated cells—along with the facility expansions and expertise required to house them. We don’t wait for customers to ask; we anticipate their needs through close collaboration and being a true strategic extension of our customers’ teams. We proactively ensure our customers have the highest probability of success with demanding launch timelines, technically complex scaling, and urgency in delivering care to patients.

Fenske: What differentiates Precera’s capabilities in the marketplace?

Hushka: Chris and I have seen under the hood of many CDMOs over the years, and we both noticed how we’ve never seen the level of automation and precision that Precera has elsewhere in this space. This automation is integrated at the start of the product development lifecycle so the precision machining, forging, electrochemical machining, Swiss micro-machining, and assembly capabilities can drive both speed and value for the most critical market applications. These include robotic surgery, MIS [minimally invasive surgery], orthopedic reconstruction and motion preservation, and even some interventional and neurostim applications. It’s a combination of driving technology to ensure quality, delivery, and precision, as well as anticipating customer and market needs and a “patients first” approach with proactive investment and engineering. In addition, we get fantastic supplier scorecard ratings with our customers!

Fenske: How do you translate a “patients first” mindset into customer focus and execution?

Hushka: At the end of the day, we—our customers and ourselves—are completely aligned in everything we do and recognize every decision we make will impact patients. For customers, this translates into reliable execution, transparent collaboration, and a commitment to derisking launches. For those patients, it’s about trust—knowing the implant or instrument they depend on was built with uncompromising quality and care at Precera. We have multiple employees who have implants that we’ve manufactured or have had MIS procedures where we make the most critical, can’t-fail components. When we know and can anticipate the market needs, it’s a catalyst for customer program launches and ensuring patients get access to breakthrough innovations early and confidently. It really is a new era where precision manufacturing paired with this approach can drive accelerated patient outcomes, and we’re proud to be on the cutting edge—literally!

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