An Indianapolis orthopedic device and services company is setting up shop in Westerville, planning to add 45 high-paying jobs and build a surgical training facility for hands-on operating-room instruction. Certus Medical's new office and anatomical training laboratory will sit at 194 Heatherdown Road, bringing together the company's Ohio commercial operations with a space designed to train orthopedic surgeons on advanced joint replacement, surgical navigation and emerging technologies.
The expansion is expected to create 45 full-time-equivalent positions by December 31, 2031, and generate $7.31 million in new annual payroll, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Those new hires would grow the Indianapolis-based company's staff by roughly 75%, according to the Columbus Business First report on the project. Per the seed announcement from JobsOhio, Certus Medical has already grown to a team of more than 60 people, with additional offices in Michigan beyond its Indianapolis headquarters.
Ohio's Tax Credit Authority approved a 1.7% tax credit lasting eight years for the project, the Dispatch reported. The company said the new office will primarily serve its growing clientele in the Midwest and East Coast, a sign of the broader footprint Certus Medical is chasing as it builds out its surgical-support network.
What the New Facility Will Actually Do
Certus Medical is an orthopedic medical device sales and clinical services company that provides implant technology, surgical navigation support and clinical education to hospitals, health systems and surgery centers across the Midwest, per JobsOhio. The company's own website describes its mission as partnering with hospitals and surgeons to supply high-quality orthopedic implants and instruments, according to Certus Medical. The Dispatch separately described the company's distribution network as covering feet and ankles, knees, hips and shoulders, alongside what it called a state-of-the-art cadaver lab designed to advance surgical education and hands-on training.
The planned 5,000-square-foot Westerville facility is meant to let surgeons gain hands-on experience with the latest technology while developing highly skilled clinical talent, according to JobsOhio. The project will support specialized clinical and technical positions, including surgical navigation specialists who assist with augmented-reality operating-room guidance, clinical professionals who help with patient-specific implant planning, and technical staff supporting advanced surgical instrumentation.
Zac Gerdts, president of Certus Medical, said Ohio surgeons and hospitals deserve the best clinical support, which requires investment in people and training infrastructure, per JobsOhio. The announcement builds on changes the company made earlier this year: in March 2026, Certus Medical assumed responsibility for its Ohio orthopedic market and retained its existing Ohio field organization, transitioning those professionals into Certus Medical employees with medical and retirement benefits. JobsOhio said that transition helped maintain continuity of clinical support for Ohio hospitals and surgical teams, and the Westerville investment builds on that groundwork by establishing permanent training and operational capabilities. Certus Medical's field teams support surgeons directly in operating rooms, the company says.
Why Westerville's Medical Mile
City officials pointed to Westerville's existing healthcare cluster as a draw. Rachel Ray, economic development director for the City of Westerville, called Certus Medical an excellent fit because it would be near one of the region's largest clinical and administrative healthcare clusters, according to JobsOhio. Ray added that the city welcomes Certus Medical to its Medical Mile and its broader healthcare and life sciences ecosystem.
The Medical Mile runs roughly 2.6 miles generally along Cleveland Avenue and Polaris Parkway, and Westerville has earned Ohio Life Sciences' Premier Life Science Ready Community designation — the organization's highest recognition for communities positioned to support biotech and life sciences growth, per JobsOhio. The city also sits along the I-71 Ohio Discovery Corridor connecting Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati. It isn't the first health-focused building to land on that stretch: Central Ohio Primary Care opened the Altair Medical Building along the Medical Mile in 2021, according to earlier Dispatch coverage.
State Officials Tout Life Sciences Push
Jonas Peterson, chief economic development officer and president of One Columbus, said the Westerville operation will bring surgical teams and industry partners together for advanced training and will strengthen the region's healthcare network, according to JobsOhio. One Columbus serves as the economic development organization for the 11-county Columbus region and receives funding from more than 300 private organizations, local governments, academic institutions and JobsOhio.
J.P. Nauseef, JobsOhio's president and CEO, said Ohio's life sciences strategy connects companies to the Ohio Discovery Corridor's research, clinical expertise and talent. JobsOhio, Ohio's private nonprofit economic development corporation, works across 10 competitive industry sectors and collaborates with seven regional partners to support company growth through business attraction, retention and expansion efforts. The state was named CNBC's top state for business in 2026, per the same JobsOhio release.
Beyond Westerville, the broader numbers suggest Ohio's labor market has room to absorb new specialized employers: nonagricultural wage and salary employment statewide increased by 11,400 jobs from July 2025 to July 2026, according to Ohio labor-market data. JobsOhio framed the Certus Medical project as adding both specialized jobs and a national training asset to Westerville, a combination state and local officials are betting will reinforce the region's standing in the life sciences sector.
