WARSAW — Indiana University and Warsaw-based Zimmer Biomet have entered into a new partnership designed to accelerate technologies that improve joint replacement, bone healing, and mobility. 

The agreement will result in collaboration on research and development, technical training and credentialing, as well as workforce development initiatives. 

[caption id="attachment_130126" align="alignright" width="420"] IU President Pamela Whitten (in red clothes) and Zimmer Biomet CEO Victor Tornos, show off copies of a new agreement on Monday. Photo provided.[/caption]

“This is a significant moment for Indiana University,” said IU President Pamela Witten during Monday’s announcement.

“It's exactly the kind of partnership that reflects who we are as a university. (0:27) More innovative, more engaged, and more determined than ever to move great ideas into things that have real-world impact,” she said.

It appears the agreement could serve as a direct boost to Warsw’s massive collection of orthopedic firms beyond just Zimmer Biomet.

IU's statement on Monday says the focus will be on meeting the evolving needs of Indiana's orthopedic sector.

Zimmer Biomet President Victor Tornos also celebrated the announcement that further deepens the orthopedic leader’s roots in Indiana.

“So when you have a bold vision, you need bold partners. And that's what Indiana University has right here. A bold vision, with bold partners, with great students,” Tornos said.

“Today is a very exciting day, not just for the university, for the state of Indiana, but for the world,” he added. 

A central component of the collaboration is Zimmer Biomet’s support and engagement in the Indiana Musculoskeletal Health Partnership for the Advancement of Care & Treatment, or IMPACT, an IU-led statewide consortium shaping Indiana’s leadership as a global hub for orthopedic innovation, the news release said.

The consortium, named a finalist in the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines competition, brings together more than 100 partners across academia, industry and government to bridge the gap between patients’ unmet medical needs and the technologies that can solve them, including smarter implants and wearable diagnostics.

Zimmer Biomet will also engage with faculty and students from the IU Kelley School of Business on applied, interdisciplinary projects focused on practical challenges in the orthopedic sector, including supply chain optimization, operational efficiency and innovation strategy, the news release said.

The IU portion of the partnership will be led by the IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences, known as IU LAB.

“IU LAB exists to turn Indiana University’s research strengths into solutions that matter in the real world,” IU LAB President and CEO David Rosenberg said. “The partnership with Zimmer Biomet does exactly that: embedding industry insight, shared infrastructure and market urgency directly into our research and talent pipeline.

“Together with Zimmer Biomet, we are shortening the distance between discovery and deployment while cementing Indiana as the world’s leader in orthopedic innovation,” Rosenberg said.

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WARSAW — The number of people now running for the at-large seat on Kosciusko County Council through a GOP caucus grew to six on Wednesday after Chris Bammerlin, a 37-year-old Warsaw resident, filed paperwork to participate in the political appointment process Tuesday night.

The field could still grow larger since the deadline to file is more than two days away.

Bamberlinn has a varied business background that led him to start his own business last year.

He worked for two years at what was known as Midwest Rake before he earned an MBA in corporate finance.

He then spent 11 years at Zimmer Biomet, with jobs that included oversight of inventory controls.

"I always compare that to forensic accounting, so I just figured I’d be very well prepared to be able to audit all the financial ins and outs of everything and verify that everything looks good and is above board, Bammerlin said Wednesday night.

In the past year, two new goals took root — owning his own business and entering the local political landscape. 

Bammerlin started his own property management company that involves single-family rentals and apartments, and said the new flexibility in his work time made it a “perfect time to get in the game.”

“This opening just kind of seemed like the right timing and kind of spoke to me as a great opportunity,” he said.

Other caucus candidates include Will Stockdale, Kyle Tom, Rob Parker, Travis Trump and Thaddeus Du Bois.

Bammerlin was asked about the expanding field of choices.

“From what I’ve seen so far, you couldn’t go wrong with any person,” he said.

The at-large seat has been in a state of flux since Delynn Geiger resigned effective immediately on Dec. 12 after taking office about one year ago.

An earlier GOP caucus led to the appointment of John Barrett, who then resigned days later after learning his job with the county's public defender office would represent a conflict in his new role.

Deadline to file for the caucus is Saturday.

The county-wide vote among Republican precinct committee members will be 6 p.m. Tuesday at the courthouse. Each of the candidates will have a chance to speak.

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WINONA LAKE — Pardee Gunter and Tara Carlile were named the Man and Woman of the Year at Thursday’s annual Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce dinner, highlighting an evening that attracted 680 guests to the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center.

Gunter was an educator in Warsaw Community Schools for 44 years and taught almost every grade level. 

Carlile had many roles in community service and was a key player with the Boomerang Backpacks program and CASA of Kosciusko County.

Check out full coverage of the presentation here.

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WINONA LAKE — Everyone’s heard about the high-profile orthopedic firms like Zimmer Biomet, OrthoPediatrics and DePuy Synthes, but there is also a slew of smaller contract manufacturers that industry heavyweights rely upon.

[caption id="attachment_124395" align="alignright" width="420"] Thursday's event kicked off with an hour-long networking session that was well attended. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

On Thursday night, more than 300 medtech representatives met in Winona Lake to showcase those companies at 'Made Here: A Manufacturing Showcase 2025.'

Some are well established and well-known, like Tecomet, but many others with little name recognition outside of the industry took the spotlight.

The network provides what some at the meeting consider to be a full complement of what those companies would need to compete.

“As far as a complete supply chain between Warsaw and Fort Wayne along that US 30 corridor, there’s over 100 companies that represent the orthopedic industry ecosystem," said Ryan Christner, CEO for OrthoWorx, who helped organize the showcase with the lcal economic developoment team, KEDCO and Priority Medical, a firm which provides engineering and business solutions  to the orthopedic community from its office in downtown Warsaw

[caption id="attachment_124415" align="alignright" width="402"] On display at each of the dinner tables were copies of a book by Dr. Mark Klaassen, an orthopedic surgeon who began work in 1987 and eventually started a joint replacement practice in Warsaw. Klaassen was one of the featured panelists at the event. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

Another fact that seems to fly under the radar is the large concentration of orthopedic-related firms located between Warsaw and Fort Wayne.

"Everyone is using different vendors. Some of them are similar, some are different, and that's what makes our ecosystem so great is the interconnectedness that we have," Christner said.

Thursday night's gathering is the first of its kind in Warsaw, organized by OrthoWorx and Kosiusko County Economic Development Corporation.

The impetus was fueled by Priority Medical, a company founded in 2021 and has offices in downtown Warsaw.

Priority Medical assists companies with device development and design services.

Priority Medical previously sponsored several manufacturing roundtables with KEDCO.

“This is what came out of that, with Jake White with Priority Medical “We really started to challenge ourselves with how we can best put on display what is offered here.”

Organizers say they hope similar events will happen annually.

The evening featured a speech by Jay Pendleton, the founder of Medtech Voice. That was followed by a Q&A panel discussion and then a spotlight on 14 contract manufacturers.

Several of those speaking Thursday night said they see a strong future for the industry.

The orthopedic device market is expected to expand from $51.6 billion in 2024 to $65.8 billion by 2030, according to marketsandmarkets.com.

Innovations in AI and 3D printing are expected to further boost the industry’s future.

Among the featured companies included in Thursday's pitch were Autocam Medical, which announced earlier this year plans to construct a plant in the Warsaw Technology Park and employ 300 people with well-paying jobs.

The Grand Rapids-based company initially planned to move into the Medtronic plant along US 30, but Medtronic changed gears about moving jobs elsewhere and then announced last year it would continue to have a presence in Warsaw.

As a result, Autocam, after getting a taste of the local workforce after its temporary shared space arrangement with Medtronic, committed to expanding in Warsaw

Other companies include Complexus, of Mishiwaka, which offers robotic grinding and five-axis assisted milling; Sparc Engineering, a Warsaw company that started in 2024 and supports the medical device industry with robotics and process improvement, and Qualitex, of Columbia City, which manufactures external fixation rings, struts and clamps.

Pendleton recapped how the industry began in Warsaw and continues to thrive.

Much of that stems from the industry's foundation with Revra Depuy 130 years ago which then gained steam with Justin Zimmer a few years later.

"There’s something in the water. There’s something in the roots, he said.

“The truth is you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the world, the innovation, the talent, the legacy ... the know-how that comes from doing it over and over again,” Pendleton said.

[caption id="attachment_124422" align="aligncenter" width="785"] Participants gathered for a photo at the end of the program. Photo provided.[/caption]

Below are a few more photos of the event by Dan Spalding, News Now Warsaw.

[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="124410,124412,124413"]

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WARSAW — Second District Congressman Rudy Yakym met with workers at Zimmer Biomet in Warsaw on Tuesday as part of a district-wide tour touting President Trump’s 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' which was recently signed into law.

Yakym is a member of the House Ways and Means committee that helped shape the bill.

He told the Warsaw workers that the large-scale legislation includes tax incentives for research and development efforts that will benefit the orthopedic industry.

As Yakym points out, the medtech sector "is only as good as its next innovation."

The bill added a sense of permanence to the R&D policy, which should provide industry leaders with increased confidence in terms of planning.

"To have the R&D provisions be permanent so that we're not coming back here again in three to five or seven years, having the same conversations with my colleagues, we solved it for once and for all because we were able to make it permanent through our One Big Beautiful Bill," Yakym said, drawing applause from the crowd.

Yakym also took questions from workers. 

One man thanked Yakym for assisting in his wife’s ongoing efforts to gain citizenship, but then went on to ask him to justify supporting policies that have left many people in fear.

Even though she’s on a path toward legal immigration, he said the entire family is fearful and that when she does leave the house, she takes a packet to document her status if questioned.

Yakym responded, saying that he's pleased that Trump has quickly sealed the southern border and emphasized that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should not ge detaining those who are not criminals and who are on a path toward citizenship.

He said Trump's efforts are three-fold: Seal the border. Deport undocumented citizens and then pass some kind of immigration reform effort.

Yakym said he does not support ICE agents taking people into custody who are in good standing and said repeatedly that his office is available to help anyone in the district.

“If you are here illegally and you commit a crime and you’re being deported, adios. Sorry – not sorry. But if you’re here legally and you’re having a problem, give me a call.”

News Now Warsaw talked with Yakym after the event and asked several questions, including if he is concerned about the latest report that shows inflation rising as well s increased grocery prices.

He blamed former President Joe Biden. 

“We’ve stopped all of these additional trillion-dollar spending packages over and above all our normal appropriations process. That’s really what caused inflation to begin with, and we’re excited to see the numbers continue to come down,” Yakym said.

Orthopedic companies, including Zimmer Biomet, have recently updated their projections on charges incurred over increased tariffs, some of which have been reduced significantly since Trump began instituting hikes in tariffs across the globe.

Yakym, noting that trade and tariffs are a crucial issue for the district's expansive manufacturing base, said he wants to see more tariff agreements reached soon so that businesses have a sense of predictability in what to expect.

“There are still deals to be negotiated and need to be finalized. But what you are seeing … is that a lot of trade deals have been negotiated and more are coming," Yakym said.

Audio

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The program will feature live pitches and is an opportunity to witness the future of technology as startups showcase their cutting-edge solutions in medical technology.

It's also an opportunity to engage in thought-provoking conversations with industry leaders about the latest trends and the future of innovation.

The startups have spent the last several months in an intensive accelerator program, working closely with our network of mentors, corporate partners, and investors to scale their businesses rapidly.

The startups selected for participation include:

• AGelity Biomechanics
• AlgoSurg
• ATRO Medical
• Endeavor Orthopaedics
• Hyprevention
• LifeAmore (successor LifeVoxel)
• Nexilis AG
• OrthoPreserve
• PathKeeper Surgical
• Sonogen Medical
• TYBR Health

These startups provide a wide array of innovative solutions within the healthcare sector, including pre- and intra-operative planning, early intervention, and next-generation implant technology. Their solutions will limit complications, enhance treatment efficacy, and promote provider efficiency.

To register to attend, click here.

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WARSAW — Zimmer Biomet has announced plans to acquire a company specializing in robotics that will take its surgical abilities to a new level.

The Warsaw company has reached an agreement with Monogram Technologies of Austin, Texas, to acquire the company for roughly $177 million, according to a news release issued Monday.

Monogram’s semi- and fully-autonomous robotic technologies are expected to complement and expand Zimmer Biomet’s ROSA Robotics platform.

Zimmer Biomet said it expects the move will provide "a clear pathway to become the first and only company in orthopedics to offer a fully autonomous surgical robot."

To see the full statement, click here.

To better understand what makes this company exciting, check out this conversation.

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WARSAW — Thursday's ceremony honoring U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Aaron Seal 19 years after he died in combat, still brings out deep emotions for his family.

[caption id="attachment_110298" align="alignright" width="280"] US Army Reserve Col. AJ Besik was Thursday's guest speaker. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_110306" align="alignright" width="196"] Aaron Seal[/caption]

The 23-year-old combat engineer with 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, died while engaged in operations in Al Anbar Province.

On Thursday, he was remembered during a somber ceremony that was part of Zimmer Biomet's annual Memorial Day wreath-laying ceremony held at the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion.

Seal was a graduate of Elkhart Memorial High School in 2001. He joined the Marine Corps in 2003 and was deployed to Iraq in 2006.

Seal’s family, including his parents, David and Lori Dunn, attended the event which included community leaders, law enforcement and members of the public.

US Army Reserve Col. AJ Besik was the guest speaker who acknowledged the family and their loss and spoke of the importance of Memorial Day, which is Monday.

"Memorial Day is for those who first served our country and those who still serve today," Besik said. "Remember that as Americans, they gave their lives and their fortunes for the freedoms we enjoy."

"Why we celebrate Memorial Day is to remember every single one of those people, regardless of whether it was in the middle of combat or in an accident in training, to move the ball forward to keep us free to enjoy our lives we have here at home," Besik said.

The Dunns were presented with a plaque at the ceremony.

David Dunn thanked Zimmer Biomet and the organizers for honoring his son and spoke briefly about his family's emotions that continue to linger 19 years later.

"When you lose your child, you don't stop loving them. You just kind of push those feelings down," Dunn said. "At a moment like this, they all come to the surface, and it's a bittersweet moment for my family," David Dunn said.

[caption id="attachment_110300" align="aligncenter" width="720"] A wreath stands in front of members of the Warsaw Community High School JROTC during Thursday's ceremony honoring US Marine Aaron Seal, who died in 2006. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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TERRE HAUTE — Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has announced a transformative $10 million gift from alumnus Niles Noblitt and his wife, Nancy, to establish the Noblitt Entrepreneurship Program, a newly endowed initiative focused on fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and business-focused opportunities for students.

The announcement was made during the college’s annual Sawmill Society weekend, a gathering of entrepreneurial alumni and students who network and mentor while learning more about the next generation of innovators at Rose-Hulman, according to a provided news release.

The NEP will provide students with education and hands-on experiences working with faculty on experiences related to entrepreneurship and the principles of the free market. Through this initiative, students will gain valuable insights into turning ideas into real-world solutions, reinforcing the problem-solving mindset that Rose-Hulman instills in its graduates.

Noblitt is a former Board of Trustees chair who earned a bachelor’s degree in biological engineering from Rose-Hulman in 1973 and was awarded an honorary doctorate in engineering in 1996 and credits his Rose-Hulman education with shaping his problem-solving approach, a skill that played a key role in his success as a co-founder of Biomet,  a Warsaw-based device company that eventually merged with Zimmer to become Zimmer Biomet.

Noblitt was inducted into the Indiana Academy in 2022 for his achievements and contributions to the state.

"This remarkable gift from Niles and Nancy aligns perfectly with Rose-Hulman’s Advancing by Design strategic plan, which prioritizes innovation, discovery, and entrepreneurship," said Rose-Hulman President Robert A. Coons. "We are deeply grateful for the Noblitts’ continued support and commitment to empowering our students with the knowledge and skills to drive meaningful change in the world. Their continued generosity and vision will ensure that future generations of students have access to resources, mentorship, and experiences that encourage entrepreneurial thinking and innovation."

As a natural extension of Rose-Hulman’s Innovation Grove project, the NEP will create a new endowed position, the Noblitt Family Endowed Chair for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship, that will focus a newly hired faculty member on coordinating the many opportunities for students, faculty and alumni to connect, and build opportunities for collaboration within a dynamic, interdisciplinary environment.

“Attending Rose-Hulman was a life-changing experience for me, and it may not have been possible without the scholarships that supported my education,” said Niles Noblitt. “My time at Rose-Hulman instilled in me a problem-solving mindset that has been invaluable throughout my career. Nancy and I want to ensure that future generations of students have the same opportunities I did — to dream big, take risks, and turn ideas into reality. We’re excited to support a program that will inspire innovation and entrepreneurship for years to come.”

The Noblitts have been longstanding supporters of Rose-Hulman, previously contributing $10 million to launch the Noblitt Scholars Program, a first-of-its-kind college-based merit and leadership scholars program designed to transform the world’s most gifted STEM students into future science and industry leaders. Their ongoing generosity underscores their dedication to strengthening Rose-Hulman’s mission of preparing students for impact-driven careers.

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