Costa Rican Talent Sought By Foreign Investors
Costa Rican talent is again calling the attention of foreign investors, as the first 16 Costa Rican mechanical engineers will design gas turbines to be used by U.S. aeronautics.

The Agilis Group, specializing in gas turbine engineering, inaugurated its Costa Rican facilities located in Ultrapark, in Barreal de Heredia.

The professionals hired by Agilis are mainly graduates of the Escuela de Ingeniería Mecánica de la Universidad de Costa Rica (University of Costa Rica Mechanical Engineering school).

Agilis founder, Frank O'Neil, welcomed the ministro de Comercio Exterior, Marco Vinicio Ruiz and Costa Rican president, Óscar Arias, to the inauguration ceremonies and said that "the stability of the government and the incentives to foreign investors and the intellectual capacity of Costa Ricans" was the major force behind their decision.

Cherry Barbanaw, Agilis' general manager, added that there are only two such facilities in the company, the one located in Costa Rica and the other in Florida.

Leticia Mason, human resources manager at Agilis, said that the company is beginning operations with only 16 engineers but that number will be increased to 60 within two years. "We require mechanical engineers, but they must be fluent in English. If they don't, the company will pay for English classes", said Mason.

Agilis is beginning operations with a us$1.5 million dollar investment for the facility.

In its thirteen years of operations, Agilis Engineering has been providing engineering services to clients that include Siemens-Westinghouse, Honeywell, Rolls-Royce, UTC-Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, Solar Turbines, Hamilton Sundstrand, Catalytica Combustion Systems, Williams International, and Caterpillar.