NPDL to expand, add 283 hires

Natural Prosthetic Dental Lab Inc., a Bradenton-based dental prosthetic manufacturer, will close its overseas manufacturing operations, and add roughly 283 jobs to the local economy thanks to recent technological advances.

NPDL has been working with Minnesota-based tech giant 3M to reduce its manufacturing costs, and can now afford to bring production jobs back to the United States, a release said.

“The only way to compete with overseas cheap labor is with technology,” said Eric Grimes, president at NPDL. “Within the decade, digital dentistry will be the standard. We want to lead that wave and grab market share.”

In addition to hiring local workers, NPDL will be moving to a larger facility in Bradenton. The company plans to break ground this fall on a 15,000-square foot facility in east Bradenton, a release said, and could move in by next spring.

The Board of Manatee County Commissioners approved a performance-based incentive of $283,000 to help fuel NPDL's expansion efforts. County administrator Ed Hunzeker says NPDL's long-standing ties to the community helped convince the board to offer its support.

“I understand that NPDL's president/COO is a sixth-generation Floridian who was born and raised in Bradenton,” Hunzeker said. “This kind of local success story reinforces the county's commitment to providing the right assistance to help retain and grow Manatee County businesses.”

NPDL has done business in the Bradenton area for 26 years.