Codman develops and markets
a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic products
for the treatment of central nervous system disorders.
Our focus is on Intractable Pain Management,
Pediatric & Adult Hydrocephalus, and Neuro
Critical Care. Our product line includes Drug
Pumps, Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts, Advanced Neuro-Monitoring,
and Electrosurgical Systems. We also represent a
premier line of surgical instruments for all specialties
in the Operating Room.
Our mission is to establish Codman
as the leader in the treatment of central nervous
system disorders by pioneering advanced neuroscience
therapies.
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| Codman's
first place exhibit in the 1876
Centennial Exhibition Celebration,
now a part of the Smithsonian
collection. |
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In 1838, with the introduction
of his Ether Pocket Cupping Instrument, Thomas Codman
established a manufacturing business in medical
and surgical devices in Boston, Massachusetts. More
than one hundred and sixty years later, Codman continues
to pursue the same principles upon which it was
founded: quality, innovation, and excellence.
At Codman, we recognize the profound
influence our past imparts to our present. Through
the years, the Company has exhibited solid growth
in its sales, employee base, reputation, and most
importantly, in the number of its satisfied and
loyal customers around the world. Our strong leadership
position within the industry has been built upon
a commitment to the fundamentals of customer service,
and this commitment continues today as our primary
operating principle: understanding, anticipating,
and meeting our customers' needs.
In 1838, a mechanic in Roxbury,
Massachusetts, designed a Pocket Cupping instrument
for the application of Ether. The enthusiastic response
of the Boston medical community encouraged Thomas
Codman to apply his talents to crafting a number
of medical and surgical items. Hence, the origins
of Codman & Shurtleff, Inc. were well rooted in
medical device innovation.
Thomas' son Benjamin, graduated from Harvard Medical
School in 1845. After purchasing the entire stock
of dental supplies from druggist Joseph Burnett,
Dr. Codman opened his Dental Depot on Tremont Street.
Later, in 1853, he took Asahel Shurtleff on as his
assistant and added surgical instruments and anatomical
supplies to the line, establishing the Benjamin
S. Codman & Company.
In 1857, he was joined in partnership by Shurtleff
and F.O. Whitney, and Codman & Shurtleff was established.
Its line of medical, surgical, dental and veterinary
instruments and supplies became more extensive;
ear, nose, and throat instruments became a major
portion of the business.
With an increasing demand for a variety of atomizers
used in the treatment of respiratory diseases, the
Company began to produce its Patented Steam Atomizer
in 1860. This product was an international best
seller for over 20 years. During the same period,
the Company introduced its General Surgery and Amputation
Set, it designed to be used on the battlefield by
Army surgeons during the Civil War. As a result,
the Company prospered and its reputation grew significantly.
Dr. Codman's death in 1894 dissolved the partnership
and placed the Company into receivership. Two years
later, Asahel Shurtleff and his son Howard purchased
the Company, incorporating it in 1904 as Codman
& Shurtleff, Inc. Significantly, shortly thereafter
in 1911, the Company began a long and important
relationship with Harvey Cushing, MD, of Massachusetts
General Hospital. Early collaborations with Dr.
Cushing resulted in the design and manufacture of
hemostatic silver clip instruments and in 1914,
his famous hypophysectomy instruments for the removal
of the pituitary gland. As one of the first surgeons
to specialize in surgery of the head, he is often
referred to as the "father of neurosurgery." This
relationship with Cushing established the Company's
unique position in supplying the needs of neurosurgeons
around the world.
In 1915, Asahel Shurtleff died, leaving his son
Howard to run the Company. Upon Howard's death in
1925, brother Arthur Shurtleff took over the operation
and faced the hard times of the Great Depression.
Typical of many companies, Codman & Shurtleff, Inc.
lost sales dramatically and approached the point
of bankruptcy. Despite these hard times, the Company
maintained a commitment to a core of skilled instrument
makers. These employees were not only critical of
the product line, but were essential to the training
of apprentices in the craft as well.
In 1938, Frank Ruggles, Codman Sales Manager, purchased
the Company and assumed its liabilities. Under his
leadership, Codman specialized in the fields of
neurosurgery and orthopaedics, the Company once
again became financially solvent.
Over the next twenty-five years, the Company displayed
slow, but steady growth. It was during this period
that many significant innovations were introduced.
One such product is the Bipolar Coagulator which
allows the surgeon to precisely control bleeding
with electrical current without the fear of injuring
delicate adjacent tissue. Codman was one of the
first companies to introduce a hip prosthesis for
total hip replacement. This was the beginning of
the Johnson & Johnson Orthopaedic franchises. Also,
an early ligating clip designed for wound closing
later evolved into a significant wound and tissue
stapling business for our sister company Ethicon,
Inc. Many instrument kits were designed in cooperation
with surgeons to better enable them to perform new
and more effective procedures. Most significant
is a set of instruments, which allowed an anterior
approach to the cervical spine for treatment of
diseased and herniated intervertebral discs.
In 1964, Codman & Shurtleff,
Inc. joined the Johnson & Johnson Family of
Companies when it was acquired by Ethicon, Inc.
Two years later, Codman obtained affiliate status
as a freestanding Johnson & Johnson subsidiary.
In 1994, the Company moved to its present corporate
headquarters in Raynham, Massachusetts.
During its quarter century of Johnson
& Johnson affiliation, the Company has displayed
steady growth and its history of significant innovations
has continued. Today, Codman continues to expand
its operations and its horizons. Through quality
products, a tradition of unmatched customer service,
and high standards of integrity, Codman looks
to the future with a high degree of optimism for
continued growth and service to meet the ever
expanding needs of our customers and employees.
Our effectiveness in the marketplace depends upon
close contact with the surgical community we serve:
surgeons, operating room nurses, hospital administrators,
and other healthcare professionals are routinely
called on by the Company's field sales representatives.
In many ways, the Codman sales representative
is "Codman" to our customers. Recruited
with prior sales experience, these individuals
receive extensive inhouse and field training in
all aspects of product knowledge, professional
selling skills and customer needs. Unlike many
healthcare companies which utilize distributors,
Codman sells its products on a direct basis to
hospitals and surgeons, relying on its sales representatives
to provide that vital link between opportunity
and a satisfied customer. Face to face selling
is today and has been through the years, the single
most important means of providing ultimate customer
service.
To provide programs to meet the many rapidly changing
needs of our customers, Codman participates with
the Johnson & Johnson Hospital Services Company.
Providing state-of-the-art technical support in
product procurement, distributions, and accounts
receivable programs, hospital customers are able
to utilize one stop shopping/delivery from any
of the professional sector companies through COACT™,
the Johnson & Johnson on-line procurement
system. Additionally, Codman supports the corporate
marketing programs of Johnson & Johnson Hospital
Services with its largest national customers,
the group hospital purchasing accounts.
In addition to the responsibility
we feel in providing the highest level of customer
service, Codman has a significant responsibility
in the local community. Working with civic and
governmental officials, Codman is an active partner
in working for a better community, not only for
our employees but for our neighbors as well. As
a good corporate neighbor, our civic involvement
includes support of the United Way, Red Cross
Blood Mobile, the March of Dimes, and direct support
to four local hospitals. Additionally, we support
Junior Achievement, the South Shore Chamber of
Commerce and the Home for Little Wanderers, and
through employee matching grants, many other local
and national programs.
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