1 (770) 807-7223ATLANTA, GA - February 8, 2010 - Slingshot Product Development Group, a global innovation and product development firm, names Scott A. Lutz, 44 as Senior Product Development Lead and Rob Szurgot, 40, as Medical Device Project Manager. These new positions are part of the growth trajectory Slingshot PDG has set for 2010.
As Senior Product Development Lead, Scott A. Lutz will direct engineering and design operations for Slingshot's innovation programs. He brings over 20 years of mechanical design and manufacturing experience across a broad spectrum of consumer, architectural, medical and defense industries. Prior to Slingshot, Scott served as Customer Business Manager at Sparton Corporation, a contract engineering company that serves defense, medical and commercial markets worldwide. His most notable programs involved an Atlanta-based implantable device maker and MicroDose Therapeutx, an inhalation device maker.
Scott provided critical leadership for designing, starting and managing "lean" production lines in a contract manufacturing environment, yielding 7,000 Class II medical devices and over $10 million in sales in the first six months. Included in this effort were also active input to customer-required design changes, and their implementation within a document control system to sustain regulatory (FDA) compliance. Scott also led an engineering design group that developed underwater acoustic security devices, the most innovative being a "harbor fence" demonstration system deployed with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).
In the course of his career at Black & Decker, Scott was program manager of the "S600" series clothes iron which contributed to the creation of a new $13M category in housewares, with 700k units sold in the first year, exceeding budget by 200%. He holds one utility patent and received the Business Week IDEA 2001 Bronze Award for Black & Decker's Ergo® electric knife. Scott has a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and a Masters in Design Studies from Harvard's Graduate School of Design.
Rob Szurgot has nearly 20 years of professional experience with expertise in Class II and Class III medical device product development. He started his career with Critical Care products, specifically anesthesiology devices. Rob worked with physicians at Arrow International, Inc on creative solutions to successfully launch a patented device that further enhanced the company's market share. Rob transitioned into the Cardiac Care industry with developing peripheral devices to support the company's Intra-Aortic Balloon Catherter's, and later elevating to the very challenging industry of Active Implantable Devices. He led the design transfer and operations efforts which included two fully implantable Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVAD) while working with Penn State Hershey Medical Center's Artificial Organs Department, and the Cleveland Clinic.
Rob is experienced working with multi-disciplined teams of medical professionals developing quality systems, designing for manufacturing, gaining regulatory approvals, supporting clinical trials, and achieving market release. His extensive experience in regulatory requirements and complexities involve the 510k approval process, as well as investigational devices. Prior to Slingshot, Rob spent 4 years as a faculty member at Georgia Institute of Technology. Slingshot welcomes Mr. Szurgot as theDirector of Medical Division.
For Press Inquiries contact: Noah McNeely, President noahm@slingshotpdg.com 770.807.7223 ext 1104
Slingshot Product Development Group is a global innovation and product development firm fueled by the passion and synthesis of designers, engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs. Founded in 2001, the company's expertise in medical devices, consumer product line launches, and productizing technology translates into a successful innovation process. Slingshot PDG changes the way companies prosper by cultivating strategic partnerships and converting product development opportunities into revenue. Slingshot PDG is headquartered in Lawrenceville, Georgia. For more information about their innovation programs, please visit www.SlingshotPDG.com.
