Bloomington, Ind.— Cook Group officials today acknowledged an Indiana General Assembly concurrent resolution sponsored by State Representative Bob Heaton extending “extreme gratitude” for the company’s 50-year history and its beneficial impact on Indiana’s economy and culture.
“On behalf of the Cook family, the more than 11,000 Cook Group employees worldwide who made this anniversary possible, and the millions of patients served by the medical devices we produce, I want to thank Rep. Heaton and his co-sponsors and colleagues in the Indiana House and Senate for this honor,” said Cook Group Chairman Steve Ferguson. “Cook is extremely proud to be a homegrown Indiana business. Our growth over the last half-century into a successful global organization has been possible due to the hard work and dedication of our employees, Indiana’s positive economic environment, and the strong support of our state’s elected officials.”
The resolution honors the 50-year journey of the Cook Group organization from a two-person operation in a spare bedroom in Bloomington in 1963 to a global business selling 16,000 different medical devices in more than 135 countries. More than 6,200 Cook employees work in Indiana in fields ranging from medical device, biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturing, real estate and resort development and management, and other commercial services.
State legislators noted that Cook, working in close cooperation with doctors and other health care providers worldwide, helped launch a revolution in medicine by pioneering many of the tools and techniques needed to perform minimally invasive procedures such as angioplasty, stenting and endovascular aortic repair, among others.
The resolution also acknowledges the work of the Cook family and Cook Group in restoring historically significant Indiana properties such as the French Lick Resort to a sustainable economic model. Other contributions singled out for recognition include capital investments in many Indiana colleges and universities, and the Cook family’s support for professional-level musical education and performance through the Star of Indiana Drum and Bugle Corps and its Tony and Emmy award-winning spin-off, BLAST!
“Every day, thousands of Hoosiers come to work at Cook Group companies with the goal of helping improve patient outcomes or providing the best customer experience possible. Each of them deeply appreciates this resolution and is humbled by what it represents.”
“Our first fifty years laid a foundation that everyone at Cook hopes will provide ongoing opportunities for growth in Indiana and around the globe for many more years,” Ferguson noted. “Every day, thousands of Hoosiers come to work at Cook Group companies with the goal of helping improve patient outcomes or providing the best customer experience possible. Each of them deeply appreciates this resolution and is humbled by what it represents.”
About Cook Medical
A global pioneer in medical breakthroughs, Cook Medical is committed to creating effective solutions that benefit millions of patients worldwide. Today, we combine medical devices, drugs, biologic grafts and cell therapies across more than 16,000 products serving more than 40 medical specialties. Founded in 1963 by a visionary who put patient needs and ethical business practices first, Cook is a family-owned company. For more information, visit www.cookmedical.com. Follow Cook Medical on Twitter and LinkedIn.