Medical-products manufacturer Boston Scientific will close its plant in Doral, eliminating 1,400 jobs by 2013, Miami-Dade economic development officials announced Friday afternoon.

The company is transferring the plant's work to a vacant facility in Costa Rica, where labor costs are much lower, said Frank Nero, president of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council.

The news is a blow not only because of the lost jobs themselves but also because Nero's agency has been targeting life sciences companies and jobs for recruitment to the county. The Doral plant makes parts for stents used in treatment of heart disease.

``Anytime you're going to have a loss of that many jobs, it's significant,'' said Nero, whose organization manages business recruitment and retention on behalf of the county government. ``It's never a good thing when we're trying to promote a cluster in life sciences and you lose a company like Boston Scientific. It's just not good.''

The one silver lining is that the Beacon Council learned of the plan well in advance and can use the time to market the factory to other potential employers. The council also will work with South Florida Workforce, the local state-supported employment agency, to help workers find jobs with other area life science firms.

Nero said his staff learned of the plan from workers who called the Beacon Council. Only then did the company talk about its plans.

The plant closing will start in the middle of next year and continue through 2012, the Beacon Council said.