TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 3, 2026--
OSSIO Inc., a fast-growing medical technology company focused on advancing orthopedic surgery with bio-integrative, metal-free fixation implants, celebrated the grand opening of its new U.S. headquarters in Manatee County’s City of Palmetto yesterday with Florida’s lieutenant governor and more than 50 other business, government and healthcare leaders.
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OSSIO selected Florida to expand its operations, which started in Israel in 2014, because of the state’s compelling combination of technical talent and economic incentives to support sustainable growth, according to OSSIO CEO Brian Verrier, who confirmed that the company expects to create about 100 new jobs in Palmetto over the next five years, with a focus on production, commercial and administrative staff. Recruiting for the first roles to be filled started in January.
In prepared remarks, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins addressed the audience of approximately 150 people in front of the 30,000 square foot facility, which houses a state-of-the-art product manufacturing plant and a best-in-class surgeon training center.
“Florida continues to be a destination of choice for innovative companies that are transforming the future of healthcare,” Collins said. “OSSIO’s decision to establish its U.S. headquarters here in Palmetto reflects Florida’s strong workforce, pro-growth environment and commitment to supporting advanced manufacturing and medical innovation. This investment will create high-quality jobs, strengthen our life sciences sector and position Florida at the forefront of next-generation orthopedic technology.”
OSSIO CEO Brian Verrier hosted the event.
“We couldn’t feel more welcome in Florida,” Verrier said after the ribbon cutting, which involved Collins, SelectFlorida President Mark Swanson, BioFlorida President and CEO Mark Glickman, and the co-executive directors of the Florida-Israel Business Accelerator (FIBA), Rakefet Bachur-Phillips and Pam Miniati, among others. “Our future in the Sunshine State is clearly bright. We’re very much looking forward to driving the company’s ambitious growth plans from our new U.S. headquarters, which promises to boost the local economy even more by bringing hundreds of surgeons to the Gulf Coast each year for training on our breakthrough medical technology for orthopedic surgery.”
BioFlorida’s Glickman added: “We're thrilled to welcome OSSIO to Florida and to the BioFlorida community. OSSIO represents exactly the kind of innovative, patient- and caregiver-focused company that continues to strengthen Florida’s position as a national powerhouse in medical technology. The company’s decision to locate advanced manufacturing and surgeon training here speaks volumes about the depth of our talent, the strength of our life sciences ecosystem and Florida's commitment to supporting companies that are truly changing lives through innovation.”
In her comments, FIBA’s Bachur-Phillips highlighted the company’s origins: “OSSIO’s expansion is a landmark moment for the Florida-Israel innovation corridor. Their growth in Florida is a win for our economy and a victory for patients everywhere. OSSIO is a prime example of the ‘Startup Nation’ spirit, and we are proud to support them as they scale their life-changing technology.”
About OSSIO fiber implants
Based on Intelligent Bone Regeneration Technology, OSSIO fiber implants combine unparalleled mechanical strength and natural healing in a bio-integrative, metal-free design. Their proprietary polymeric mineral fiber matrix enables rapid bone in-growth, regeneration and replacement — a new way for orthopedic surgeons to restore their patients’ stability and mobility while leaving nothing permanent behind.
OSSIO fiber implants represent the first credible alternative to metal, absorbable and allograft fixation devices. The most significant advance in orthopedic fixation technology in more than 100 years, this novel medical technology has the potential to address an increasingly wide array of surgical applications due to the proprietary “know-how” to manufacture limitless implant platforms. Looking ahead, the company intends to continue developing additional applications for OSSIO fiber implants in all major segments of orthopedics.
Notably for U.S. healthcare providers and payors, OSSIO fiber implants utilize existing reimbursement codes and surgical techniques. Their uptake continues to grow because of strong patient and surgeon preference to avoid the concerns and complications of metal fixation implants. Through December 2025, more than 65,000 OSSIO fiber implants have been used to treat orthopedic patients in the U.S.
About OSSIO Inc.
Disclaimer: Forward-looking statements in this news release are based on estimates and assumptions of OSSIO management and are believed to be reasonable, though they are inherently uncertain and difficult to predict.
OSSIO CEO Brian Verrier celebrates opening of orthopedic medical technology company's new U.S headquarters in Palmetto, Florida, with state's lieutenant governor, Jay Collins, and other dignitaries and members of OSSIO management team.
Employees of orthopedic medical technology company OSSIO celebrate opening of company's new U.S. headquarters in Palmetto, Florida.
Cameron Boozer was at the center of everything for Duke this season.
The 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward proved tough enough to score through physical play. Rangy enough to space the floor and shoot from outside. Deft enough as a passer to find teammates, whether against constant double teams coming for him as the top name on every scouting report or while running the entire offense from up top.
“You just want to affect winning in whatever way you can,” Boozer said.
The high-end NBA prospect did that all season for a team that won 35 games, reached No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll, claimed the top overall seed for March Madness and reached the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight. Now he's The Associated Press men’s college basketball national player of the year, only the fifth freshman to earn the honor and the second in a row for a Duke program that keeps adding to the longest list of winners in the country.
“It just goes to show more about what our team has done, just because I think that really helps awards like this, having great team success,” Boozer told the AP. “It’s really just not me.”
Boozer, named unanimous first-team AP all-American last month, received 59 of 61 votes from AP Top 25 voters in results released Friday. BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa, another potential top NBA pick, received the other two votes after averaging a national-best 25.5 points per game.
Boozer, son of Duke and longtime NBA player Carlos Boozer, ranked averaged 22.5 points (ninth in Division I) and 10.2 rebounds (12th) while finishing tied for the national lead with 22 double-doubles. He also averaged 4.1 assists while posting efficient shooting numbers at 55.6% overall and 39.1% from 3-point range.
He joins fellow Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg last year, another Duke player in Zion Williamson (2019), Kentucky’s Anthony Davis (2012) and Texas star Kevin Durant (2007) as freshmen to win the AP award. Each went No. 1 or No. 2 in the NBA draft that year.
“I’m very grateful just that I’m even in those (NBA) conversations,” Boozer said. “I think a lot of people dream of being where I am. Sometimes you’ve got to take a step back and just remember that once upon a time, you were a kid dreaming to be here. So I think it’s very special.”
His coaches think the same of him.
“We’ve been fortunate enough the last two years to have two of the best freshmen to ever play in college basketball back to back,” Duke associate head coach and former Blue Devils player Chris Carrawell said. “And Cam is right up there.
Boozer is Duke's ninth AP winner, each coming from a different player. UCLA is the next closest with five winners, though that included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1967 and 1969) and Bill Walton (1972 and 1973) as two-time selections.
UCLA, Ohio State and Duke rival North Carolina are the only other programs with as many as three different players to win the award.
Boozer arrived at Duke alongside twin brother Cayden after the two led Miami's Columbus High to four straight state championships. By late February, the Blue Devils were starting a four-week reign atop the AP Top 25 that would carry to March Madness. Boozer — who said he looks at winning as a skill — routinely posted top performances in Duke's biggest games, including during a rugged nonconference slate.
He matched a season high with 35 points in a November win against Arkansas. He followed with 29 points against defending national champion Florida. He also had big performances at Michigan State (18 points, 15 rebounds) and flirted with a triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists) in a February win against Michigan.
Along the way, he pushed through bumps and shoves. He closed Sunday's season-ending loss to UConn with 27 points and his right eye swollen from a first-half blow.
“There’s no agenda other than figuring out a way to win,” Wolverines coach Dusty May said. “I’ve seen him play a number of times this year where there’s six guys in the paint, and it’s not as if he’s jumping 40, 50 inches off the floor. His desire to rebound the ball, to set physical screens, to play to his advantages, is as impressive as any freshman that I can recall.”
The other challenge was managing the scrutiny that comes from expectations for greatness. A missed shot. A turnover. The 3-for-17 shooting while battling rising frustration and Virginia shot-blocker Ugonna Onyenso in the ACC title game.
“He does a great job of flushing it and not letting it dwell on him too much,” Cayden said. “That’s something he’s always been able to do since we were younger. Obviously I talk to him when he needs me to. And I sometimes just understood that, hey, he’s going through something, give him some space for a little bit and he’ll figure it out.”
Cameron said getting away for time alone and putting down the phone helps. He points to prayer and even a recent effort to read more.
The rest of the time, though, he'll throw himself into becoming a better player. There's comfort in that routine, the results yet to fail him.
“I think just being prepared alleviates pressure," Cameron said. "Being ready for a game, watching film, working out, knowing you put your time in, being confident in yourself — I think all that takes away a lot of the pressure that people talk about. At the end of the day, pressure really is what you put on yourself.”
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
Duke forward Cameron Boozer (12) reacts after scoring during the second half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament against TCU, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Duke guard Cayden Boozer, left, and Duke forward Cameron Boozer, right, share a laugh during a press conference ahead of a game against UConn in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Duke forward Cameron Boozer (12) shoots over St. John's forward Bryce Hopkins (23) during the second half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Duke forward Cameron Boozer (12) shoots over St. John's forward Bryce Hopkins (23) during the first half in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
