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News Release

WARSAW — OrthoWorx has filled the first of two positions involving the state distribution of $30 million aimed at boosting orthopedic job retention.

OrthoWorx announced this week the appointment of Ryan Christner to the role of Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative (OIRI) executive director.

“Given Ryan’s progressive career track, which has included a broad set of responsibilities across a number of different disciplines and various roles at some of our local orthopedic businesses, we believe he is an outstanding fit for this newly created role at OrthoWorx,” said Bob Vitoux, OrthoWorx president and CEO.

“Ryan is passionate about the industry and has been a supporter of and contributor to OrthoWorx through his involvement as a volunteer in several talent and community-related initiatives over the past decade, which should serve him, the organization, and OrthoWorx’s partners well as he settles into this new role.”

Christner, a lifelong resident of Kosciusko County, is invested in the community where he and his wife are raising their four children, according to a news release from OrthoWorx.

He earned both his bachelor’s degree and MBA from Grace College and has over 14 years of experience in the orthopedic industry, holding positions in operations management, supply chain and logistics.

Christner’s commitment to the community and workforce development is demonstrated through his volunteer work, including serving on the Education Workforce Committee and the OrthoWorx Academy Advisory Board, along with traveling abroad earlier this year with several leaders from the state as a part of the Richard M. Fairbanks funded iLab initiative, to explore youth apprenticeship education models in Switzerland. He also actively coaches youth sports, serves as chairman of the local Wawasee Ducks Unlimited organization and volunteers with his church’s youth group. In his free time, Christner enjoys adventuring in the outdoors.

The OIRI executive director will oversee the implementation and deployment of the $30 million state-funded Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative.

In this role, Christner will serve as the primary point of contact for the initiative, working in close partnership with the OIRI Visioning Committee, government entities, industry and business leaders and other community stakeholders to fulfill the vision of OIRI.

“I’m incredibly excited about the vision laid out by those who have been key in securing the state funding, and I’m deeply inspired by the opportunity to contribute to such as an important initiative,” Christner said. “Kosciusko County has a rich legacy of innovation, growth and a remarkable talent pool which makes it a fantastic place to live and work. As the Orthopedic Capital of the World, there’s no better place to continue building on this legacy. It’s truly an honor to be a part of a team which is working to bring the OIRI vision to life and create a brighter future for our community and future generations.”

In addition to the OIRI executive director role, OrthoWorx is actively recruiting for the Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative project manager position that will  report to the OIRI executive director.

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WARSAW — Johnson & Johnson is rebranding its medical device companies, including Depuy Synthes, the founding company where orthopedics first originated.

J&J announced a month ago that Ethicon, DePuy Synthes, Biosense Webster, Abiomed and CERENOVUS will now go by "Johnson & Johnson MedTech."

Signage outside the DePuy facility on US 30 changed about a week ago and now reads Johnson and Johnson.

[caption id="attachment_100258" align="alignright" width="330"] The sign outside DePuy Synthes in 2019. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

While it's not an Earth-shaking development, for Warsaw it means the first name in orthopedics will likely fall by the wayside.

In an email to News Now Warsaw on Monday, the company said the change is the next step in Johnson & Johnson’s updated brand and visual identity announced in September 2023.

This move underscores Johnson & Johnson’s leadership in medical technology with a focus on cardiovascular, orthopedic, surgery and vision solutions, the company said.

The announcement has no impact on the medical technology products and solutions currently offered to customers, the company said.

The name change follows a trend in which the term orthopedics is often being replaced by "Medtech."

That was readily apparent at a recent Plug and Play event in Winona Lake that brought together dozens of entrepreneurs.

Bob Vitoux, a former executive with DePuy who now oversees Orthoworx, said the change in terminology reflects the evolving technology. For decades, orthopedics was all about metal and plastic instrumentation but now has a much more expansive use of technology.

"In a lot of ways, what we're really seeing with the move to medtech is just the continued advancement of that use of technology and data in the business going forward," Vitoux said.

While the name Revra DePuy will forever be cemented in the history of orthopedics, Vitoux said he believes the name Depuy will continue to be ingrained in the minds of those in the medical field despite the name change.

"It's the end of, potentially the era of Revra DePuy, being the origin going back to 1895 — this is now the new chapter of where we're headed," he said.

He said he believes the respect the J&J name carries with it in the healthcare industry will prove to be beneficial for the local identity.

Several people said they agreed that the name Depuy Synthes was somewhat awkward for those outside of Warsaw and not familiar with the company.

Some former DePuy employees reached out to News Now Warsaw with their thoughts. Hans Kusserow, who had a long career with the company and now lives out west, said he didn’t think it was that big of a deal.

"Being the first company in orthopedics, there's pride in that, and losing the name does take away something from it, but that's life, isn't it?" Kusserow said. 

Another said he believes the company will always be known by local workers as DePuy.

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WINONA LAKE — Plug and Play Warsaw put on a display of innovative proposals by seven start-ups Tuesday that are seeking to establish themselves in the evolving med tech sector.

Held at the Miller Sunset Pavilion in Winona Lake with a large crowd in attendance, the expo was a unique glimpse into what possibly lies ahead in the industry.

(Check out recaps of proposals at the bottom of the story)

Plug and Play is the premier global innovation platform that connects startups with corporations, universities and venture capital firms.

Tuesday’s event highlighted the first such batch of firms participating in the new Plug and Play office in Indiana which was sponsored by Zimmer Biomet, Paragon Medical and Orthopediatrics.

"It's a big day for Warsaw for sure," said Bob Vitoux, chief executive officer of OrthoWorx who was credited at the meeting with helping bring Plug and Play to Warsaw. 

"It's symbolic of where we're headed as a community — just a lot of energy. We believe winning begets winning and this is a step in that direction," Votoux said.

Vitoux spoke to the audience and alluded to the $30 million set aside by the Indiana General Assembly for Orthoworx to attract and retain orthopedic firms to the area and told onlookers there are "30 million reasons" to consider Warsaw as a corporate home.

Seven of eight startups that were part of the first "Medtech Batch" highlighted a variety of concepts, with most looking for infusions of money and — for some — to eventually be acquired by an established orthopedic firm.

The emerging companies pitched proposals ranging from imaging collection to the tracking of medical history. Some relied on artificial intelligence. Two companies focused on solutions for damaged cartilage while another put forth a plan to develop a smart implant device that is adjustable.

Indiana State government was represented at the meeting by David Watkins, senior vice president of Entrepreneurship & Small Business with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

Plug and Play in Warsaw is the first in Indiana, but officials said more such sites are in the works for eight other communities. Those will focus on life sciences, hard tech, sports tech and animal health, according to a graphic displayed at the event.

Plug and Play in Warsaw established itself six months ago and Watkins described the interest since then as a "barn burner."

Given the history of orthopedics in Warsaw, Watkins asked rhetorically, 'Why wouldn't Plug and Play want to be here?"

Officials concede many of the startups will eventually look elsewhere to establish their companies, but local officials, including State Rep. Craig Snow, hope firms will consider sinking their roots into the Orthopedic Capital of the World.

"I think that's the goal. We really want to build out an ecosystem, have companies come in, entrepreneurially to start up here and more importantly to stay here," Snow said.

Another highlight of the meeting was a speech by Ben Lytle, a former CEO of Anthem who has authored the book, The Potentialist, which looks at life-altering changes in the next 30 years.

After hearing pitches on Tuesday, officials will gather in a more private setting on Wednesday to meet with the next nine companies seeking to be part of the Plug and Play.

[gallery size="full" columns="1" ids="98264,98267,98268,98266"]

Below are recaps from seven of the eight participating startups.

[gallery size="full" columns="2" ids="98270,98276,98277,98271,98273,98274,98275"]

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INDIANAPOLIS — Bob Vitoux, president and CEO of OrthoWorx, has been named to the Indianapolis Business Journal’s Indiana 250 list for the second consecutive year.

The annual list recognizes the state’s most influential and impactful leaders across business, philanthropy, the arts, government and not-for-profits.

“It’s truly an honor to have been selected by IBJ again this year for inclusion in their Indiana 250 list,” said Vitoux. “I’m humbled to be in the midst of the caliber of leaders from our great state of Indiana included on this list and grateful to be at OrthoWorx, where we continue to be focused on our three pillars that include: Equipping the Next Generation, Enriching Community, and Accelerating Innovation”.

Vitoux just recently completed his second anniversary at OrthoWorx, which will soon celebrate its 15th year of existence, based in Warsaw, and has a mission of “Advancing the Orthopedic Capital of the World for Generations to Come.”

OrthoWorx recently obtained approval from the State’s Budget Committee for the Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative a fiscal year 2025 state budget line item allocating $30 million to OrthoWorx to launch initiatives aimed at attracting talent and retaining the orthopedic industry in the region.

Since Vitoux’s arrival, the organization has re-initiated the DiscoverME talent development program exposing approximately 1,000 local 8th graders annually to Manufacturing Experiences, co-sponsored a Kosciusko/Whitley county Career & Technical Education (CTE) baseline study with the Don Wood Foundation, partnered with Grace College in the development of their upcoming Orthopedic MBA program, and helped launch experiential learning programs at two area career academies.

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WARSAW — Indiana's Budget Committee has officially approved the $30 million grant for the Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative designed to attract talent and to retain and expand the orthopedic device industry in Indiana.

The State Budget Committee voted Tuesday to approve the $30 million grant which was appropriated by the General Assembly in April 2023, according to a news release from OrthoWorx. 

OrthoWorx will begin deploying the fund in July, the news release said.

“We are remarkably grateful to the state for entrusting OrthoWorx as the steward of these resources for investing in the future of the orthopedic industry and thereby allowing us to execute on our mission of Advancing the Orthopedic Capital of the World for Generations to Come,” said Bob Vitoux, OrthoWorx president and CEO. 

“The timing of this funding couldn’t be better for investing in additional workforce housing, new amenities and experiences, innovation and research facilities in support of orthopedics, improved aesthetics, and more, all of which are critical to attracting and retaining the next generation workforce.”

Also commenting on this announcement, Ivan Tornos, Zimmer Biomet president and CEO, added, “Warsaw, Indiana, has been driving Medtech innovation and helping patients for nearly 130 years. This commitment by the state of Indiana reaffirms the value it places on the future of orthopedics.”

Details of the proposals developed by a local committee in recent months have not been released to the public.

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By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw

WARSAW — OrthoWorx, alongside local orthopedic manufacturers and educators, is working to create a pipeline of talent for job opportunities that has never been seen before in Warsaw.

A collective effort that includes numerous companies, Grace College, Ivy Tech and a consulting firm from Purdue University, are all coordinating with OrthoWorx to prepare students in high school and higher education to be ready to move directly into the local orthopedic industry.

The latest effort involves the establishment of ortho academies that will pair up manufacturers with local school districts.

Paragon Medical is working with Whitko Community Schools and Wawasee School Corporation is partnered with Polywood.

The newest academy was announced earlier this week with Warsaw Community High School and Tippecanoe Valley Schools involving the upcoming launch of the Regional Advanced Manufacturing Pathway (RAMP) program that will be available to students beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. 

RAMP will initially rely on four local manufacturers — Instrumental Machine & Development, Medartis, PreMedTec and Zimmer Biomet. The program will be offered to a select group of junior and senior manufacturing pathway students at the Warsaw Area Career Center (WACC). 

Through the program, students will have the opportunity to gain fundamental manufacturing skills, hands-on experience, and an internship opportunity with one of the industry partners, according to a news release from WCS.

OrthoWorx turned to an organization at Purdue University – IN-MaC – that helps develop similar programs at high schools across the state and that gained recognition after working to establish one involving Toyota in southern Indiana.

RAMP will initially rely on four local manufacturers — Instrumental Machine & Development, Medartis, PreMedTec and Zimmer Biomet.

OrthoWorx was established in 2009 with funding from the Lilly Endowment and recently experienced a reboot of sorts with a new round of funding from the endowment. That change has allowed the organization to increase staff.

“Our goal is to create employable skilled young people who can go right into industry post-high school because they’ve gotten all this curriculum, along with and the hands-on experience and the on-site mentoring through their and internship opportunities before graduating,” said Allyn Decker, VP of Operations and Engagement, who joined OrthoWorx just a few months ago.

The combined efforts are the biggest organized effort seen locally to help prepare the future workforce.

Decker said he has no doubt about the demand for jobs in the local orthopedic sector.

“They’ve been telling us for years they’ll take every single advanced manufacturing trained person that we can provide,” Decker said.

The demand is so strong, in fact, Zimmer Biomet has established its own internal CNC training program for current employees.

“They essentially have kind of taken things into their own hands in that regard and said, listen, if we can’t get enough skilled workers from the traditional training and college route or the traditional CTE route we’ll take it in-house,” Decker said.

Decker said they want to create a pipeline that will provide economic independence for young people.

“When they’re out of school and can be earning $20 to $30 an hour with amazing full-time benefits and tuition assistance to be able to pursue higher education at low- or no-cost, everybody wins,” Decker said.

OrthoWorx has also worked to develop other programs geared to encourage high school students to consider a career in advanced manufacturing, Two of those include:

• Discover ME (Manufacturing Experiences) a week of classroom curriculum and experiential tours each October that involves every eighth-graders in the county who have a chance to learns about career opportunities and tours at at least one manufacturing site with an industry partner. 
• Another is the Real ME program, a one-day program targeted toward high-school sophomores that creates awareness of local career opportunities and the professional skills needed to succeed.

In another development, Decker said Grace College is establishing a one-year orthopedic MBA program that will include online and in-person learning as well as internships. The program will begin in May and the college hopes to enroll a minimum of a dozen students in its initial effort.

A new era?

Meanwhile, those watching the orthopedic industry in Warsaw could very well look back at the past few years and suggest the local industry is is in the middle of a golden age.

In the past year, the company has seen two international companies — Medartis and Mentore Media — move into Warsaw.

Some of that has to do with the growth of the Warsaw technology park, the growing emergence of KEDCo (the economic development group in Warsaw), and state leadership that has embraced the orthopedic capital of the world and is offering OrthoWorx $30 million in support to attract and retain orthopedic workers into the local market.

Bob Vitoux, president and CEO of OrthoWorx, who’s working with other groups in helping prepare a plan on how to use the $30 million in state money, said the local orthopedic environment is on fire.

"There is just a tremendous amount inertia right now," Vitoux said. "Having been in and around this industry for 30-ish years, I don't remember the amount of energy that I sense that's here."

Part of what’s driving the growth in local orthopedics is innovation and a change that has emerged since covid that has seen the industry embrace the use of surgical centers for orthopedic implants as technology no longer requires inpatient surgery for hips and knees, Vitoux

A few statistics stand out concerning the local implant industry.

Combined, all of the local orthopedic companies include about 10,000 to 12,000 existing jobs in the industry. At the same time, there are roughly 1,000 high school students who are graduating and preparing for careers.

That presents OrthoWorx with two big issues.

"What are we doing to retain as many of those kids as possible in this industry and then attracting new families," Vitoux said.

At the same time, it's a matter of how best to use the future state money in attracting new families to the community.

OrthoWorx has also been presented with a chance to use upward of $30 million in state money — and possibly much more in the future — to develop a plan on how to retain jobs in the industry.

OrthoWorx is currently working on a plan to use the money and will present a multi-faceted proposal to the state budget committee by early next summer.

The organization is working with various groups and community leaders on the endeavor.

Much of what they hope to do is improve the quality of life.

"I think the next generation that's coming into the workforce ... really enjoys experiences," Vitoux said.

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WARSAW -- Kosciusko County Council on Thursday night heard more than an hour of opinions supporting the creation of a city-county airport authority.

They also heard a handful of comments from those opposed and from some who want to see voters have a final say through a referendum on an election ballot.

Warsaw City Council has already endorsed the plan, which still needs county council approval for it to happen. The major point of concern for many is that it would create a new tax for all property owners in the county.

Republican lawmakers including a representative for Congressman Rudy Yakym and State Reps. Craig Snow and David Abbott spoke on behalf of the airport's importance.

Economic development proponents KEDCo and the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce endorsed the plan.

A representative of OrthoWorx and an executive with Zimmer Biomet also spoke about the need for an airport authority.

[caption id="attachment_71777" align="alignright" width="276"] Craig Snow[/caption]

Snow, who has focused significantly on economic development in his first few years in the statehouse, said the state is eager to look at helping boost the orthopedic capital but would like to see local leaders have what some call 'skin in the game.'

He said additional funding from the state in the future would include some dedicated to the airport.

He also offered to introduce a legislative amendment to modify and customize state law to accommodate potential arrangements that would make the deal more palatable.

Bob Vitoux, OrthoWorx CEO, invoked the names of orthopedic legends Revra DePuy and Dr. Dane Miller. 

"If Dane Miller was still alive, and still here, he would find a way to convince people that this is the right thing to do,” Vitoux said. “Dane’s looking down on us and he’s saying, 'Do the right thing in this community. Let’s create yet a better place than we already have.’ ”

Jim Lancaster, with Zimmer Biomet, told the council the airport serves as a gateway to global sales and talked about the company's unique history and commitment to the community.

"We live in a unique community that may be small, but has a mighty opportunity to continue to do great things,” Lancaster said.

Suzie Light, speaking for Kedco, said the airport was immensely important and made a personal appeal to those who don’t think they benefit from the airport.

"Not all Wayne Township residents use the Warsaw-Wayne Township public library, nor do they all have children in school, but they support those things with their tax dollars because we benefit as a community from those important valuable things that create valuable community citizens," Light said.

Also speaking were Mayor Joe Thallemer and Airport Manager Nick King who highlighted the airport's economic impact and provided a long list of needed major repairs and improvements that totaled roughly $45 million.

King said the airport is among the top five in the state with an $860 million-a-year economic impact on the community

Council was also advised that the only way for a referendum to appear on a ballot is for it to be prompted by opponents if and when the council approves of the plan.

Council asked a few questions about the tax rate and the referendum but did not offer opinions on the issue.

No action was taken and council president Mike Long has suggested they will take their time in addressing the issue.

It’s unclear whether the council would approve it just for the sake of sending it to a referendum.

[caption id="attachment_77195" align="aligncenter" width="960"] An estimated 85 people attended Wednesday's meeting in the old courtroom in Warsaw night. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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