In 2019, Joey Thames attended an SCbio event as a representative of Clemson University. He didn’t know at the time, but a conversation that evening would eventually lead him to his next career.
At that event, Thames met Corporate Manager Sheila Dela Cruz and President Dave Shalaby of Poly-Med, who also serves as SCbio’s Fiduciary and Operations Board Secretary, where he had the opportunity to talk with them about his research, interests and experience. He was already familiar with Poly-Med through the company’s Chief Technology Officer, Scott Taylor, but the conversation gave him a chance to learn more about the company and share what he could bring to the team.
Two years later, Thames received a phone call from Poly-Med about an open position.
Today, he serves as the company’s recruiting manager.
His story is one example of what nearly 14 years of SCbio membership has meant to Poly-Med: connections that continue long after an event ends.
More Than a Membership: Investing in People, Partnerships and Relationships
Based in Anderson, Poly-Med is an industry leader in bioresorbable medical technology. The company develops biomaterials and implantable devices designed to support the body as it heals and then safely dissolve once they are no longer needed.
Poly-Med brings the entire process under one roof, including raw polymer synthesis and fiber extrusion to finished implantable device manufacturing. Their in-house expertise allows the company to turn complex ideas into medical technologies that improve patient care.
But Poly-Med’s impact on South Carolina’s life sciences extends beyond the products it develops.
Since its founding in 1993, the company has invested in people, partnerships and relationships that help drive innovation. Its long-standing membership with SCbio has been one part of that effort, giving Poly-Med opportunities to connect with industry leaders, engage with students, support workforce development, participate in policy conversations and stay informed about the issues shaping South Carolina’s life sciences industry.
Simply put, SCbio membership has given Poly-Med a way to stay connected to people and ideas driving the state’s life sciences ecosystem.
Building Connections that Can Change a Company’s Future
In any industry, relationships matter. In life sciences, they can change the company’s future.
Poly-Med has seen that firsthand through its participation in SCbio events, including Academia + Industry: Bridging the Gap, regional programs such as Breakfast and Bio, the Workforce Roundtable Luncheon and at the Life + Science Annual Conference.
“SCbio conferences are much more than opportunities to hear from leaders across the life sciences industry,” said Thames. “They foster meaningful collaboration, the exchange of ideas and lasting professional relationships.”
Those relationships have become particularly valuable as Poly-Med works to build its talent pipeline.
Over the past year, the company participated in three Academia + Industry events, connecting with more than 100 college students and learning about their interests, skills and career goals.
Some of those conversations have continued well beyond the event.
Turning Conversations into Careers
Kylie King is one example of an SCbio student member who has a career success story with Poly-Med.
Thames first met King, a Clemson University biomedical engineering Ph.D. student, at SCbio’s Life + Science Conference. They crossed paths again at an Upstate Academia + Industry: Bridging the Gap event, where Thames saw the ambition and curiosity that Poly-Med looks for in its employees.
Later, he came across King’s profile on LinkedIn and remembered their conversations.
Today, King is a full-time member of the Poly-Med team.
Another Poly-Med hire came through the SCbio Foundation Internship Grant.
Haley Pepper joined Poly-Med as an intern after receiving support from the SCbio Foundation.
“When we met Haley Pepper, we found someone who was engaging and curious,” Thames said.
After Pepper connected with SCbio President and CEO James Chappell, Ph.D., and Executive Vice President and COO Erin Ford, they referred her to Poly-Med for an internship opportunity.
These connections illustrate one of the most valuable parts of SCbio’s role in the industry: bringing the right people together.
Staying Connected to the Industry
Talent is only one part of Poly-Med’s engagement with SCbio.
The company also uses its membership to stay connected to the issues affecting its business and to better understand where South Carolina’s life sciences industry is headed.
Poly-Med representatives have participated in SCbio’s legislative events and conversations with policymakers. The company has also participated in the BIO Fly-In in Washington, D.C., a roundtable discussion with the office of Sen. Tim Scott and the Life Sciences Legislative Breakfast.
This involvement gives Poly-Med a broader view of the opportunities and challenges facing the industry.
“Being a part of SCbio for almost 14 years has provided us with a birds-eye view of the life sciences ecosystem of experts and technologies operating all over the state of South Carolina,” Thames said.
That perspective has helped Poly-Med stay informed on policy and workforce issues while also giving the company opportunities to share its own experiences and ideas.
Growing With South Carolina’s Life Sciences Industry
Poly-Med’s continued growth in South Carolina reflects many of the strengths that make the state attractive to life sciences companies: a growing talent pipeline, strong research partners and a cost-effective operational environment.
The company expanded to Powdersville in 2019 and again to Liberty in 2022, while continuing to develop biomaterial platforms and engineering capabilities designed to improve patient care.
SCbio has helped Poly-Med stay connected to the people and opportunities surrounding that growth.
Over the past year, Poly-Med has reached more than 775 people through SCbio events and received more than 69,000 brand impressions through SCbio communications.
But those numbers tell only part of the story.
The more meaningful measure is what happens after the event ends, like a researcher meeting a future colleague, a student meeting an employer and a company connecting with a policymaker.
That is what has kept Poly-Med engaged with SCbio for nearly 14 years.
“Membership with SCbio has truly allowed us to engage directly with industry partners and share experiences and ideas that allow member companies a leg up in the highly competitive life sciences industry,” Thames said.
As Poly-Med continues to develop new biomaterial platforms and the engineering expertise to support them, the company plans to keep investing in the people and partnerships that have helped shape its growth.
About Poly-Med, Inc.
Poly-Med’s mission is to design, develop, and manufacture custom components and implantable medical devices using next-generation absorbable biomaterials, propelling customers’ specialty product visions into tangible, highly competitive and unique product offerings.