Paragon Medical Cuts Ribbon For Additive Mfg. Facility In Pierceton
June 22, 2023 at 12:04 a.m.
Paragon Medical Cuts Ribbon For Additive Mfg. Facility In Pierceton
By David [email protected]
The new additive manufacturing facility is supported by an initial investment of $16 million with an additional anticipated investment of $19 million over the next five years, according to a news release provided by Paragon Medical. With existing additive manufacturing design and production capabilities at Paragon Medical’s Innovation Center in Warsaw, this new investment “demonstrates Paragon Medical’s continued commitment to innovation in design and manufacturing, while enabling the medical device community to commercialize with excellence,” the release states.
Paragon broke ground on the additive manufacturing facility back on Sept. 23, 2021. Along with the ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday with the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, there were speakers, self-guided tours of the new facility and 3D printing and a lunch.
Before hundreds of Paragon Medical employees and invited guests, Dan Blum, vice president and general manager, said, “It’s a pretty momentous event for this campus and also for Paragon Medical. Today is really a culmination and we’re celebrating the grand opening of a 34,000-square-foot manufacturing facility purposely built and focused on additive manufacturing.”
He thanked a number of people and organizations for helping get Paragon to this point, including the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO), Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, Pierceton Town Council, OrthoWorx and JA Wagner Construction.
“It takes a lot to get us to the position that we’re at. It takes a lot of planning, it takes a lot of activity and it’s not just a celebration, it’s more of a testimonial to the passion that this entire team gives day in and day out to grow this campus, to grow our business and ultimately to support our clients and supporting the end-user,” Blum said.
The new additive manufacturing facility started with its approval in May 2021, breaking ground on Sept. 23, 2021, and on Sept. 9, 2022, installed the first printer in the facility, he said.
“We were in production and producing our first production product in March of this year. So about a year and a half, we go from bare dirt to producing product out of this facility and on this campus,” he stated. “... But there’s no way this could have happened without the commitment, without the support, without the dedication of the team members out here that helped make it (happen) day in and day out.”
KEDCO CEO Alan Tio thanked Paragon Medical and its entire team. With facilities around the world, he said Paragon could have chosen anywhere to put the new additive manufacturing facility, but they chose Pierceton.
“It’s a team effort. It takes a lot of partners. These are great celebrations but a lot of work that happens to get us here together,” Tio said.
Paragon CEO Wil Boren said he spent the majority of his career as a customer at Paragon Medical and always knew the company for its excellence in manufacturing and responsiveness.
“Paragon has an amazing track record, for lack of better words, of cutting and shaping metal and producing the highest-quality medical products,” he said.
Additive manufacturing is different in that it doesn’t cut metal but builds metal from the plate up.
“Our additive technology takes small particles of titanium powder, with the assistance of a complex laser, and we’re able to stack material layer upon layer. In essence, we add material until we build a product, hence the words ‘additive manufacturing,’” Boren explained.
Following the creation of the component, “we then have to machine it, we have to heat treat it, we have to clean it and then we have to sterilize it. This is a highly-complex process that requires a lot of talented people to manage it,” he said. Paragon Medical will be in a “unique” position in the marketplace as they are one of the very few in this segment that can conduct almost all of the steps it takes to manufacture an additive product. “So simply stated, when our plant is fully operational, we’ll do every step of the additive process with the exception of sterilization.”
Boren recalled back to 2004 how excited he was for the transformation additive manufacturing/3D printing would have on the orthopedic industry. Unfortunately, at that time, he said, the market wasn’t ready for it.
“So even at the time, our FDA, the governing body that actually approves new medical devices for approvals, was not approving many products. This is no longer true. This market is ready for more innovation and additive technology is here to make it even more exciting, and the FDA is approving hundreds of additive products a year,” Boren said.
He also talked about Paragon Medical founder Toby Buck and Vice President of Innovation and Technology Dan Owens.
“Additive manufacturing is really a dream these two individuals had many years ago. In fact, Toby just shared with me they were talking about this 15 years ago,” Boren said, adding that the new facility wouldn’t be possible without Buck’s leadership. To recognize Buck specifically, the board room in the facility is dedicated to him.
“So, in summary, we should all be excited about the addition of our one Paragon facility with additive manufacturing. This segment is going to grow to an $8 billion segment in manufacturing and it grows at 20% per year, so this will truly drive our future success,” Boren concluded.
Owens started out by saying, “If I can say one thing, we’ve came a long, long way. When I look around this parking lot, I’m just amazed at how much it has grown in the 32 years that I have been here.”
He said he and Buck have been talking and dreaming about the additive manufacturing for over 10 years. He thanked a number of people and organizations that helped along the way, including his God, Buck, American Securities and others.
Buck said, “As it relates to this facility, Owens would tell me, Buck, this is the fourth industrial revolution that’s coming at us. The conversation really probably took place over 10 years ago, but to reinforce Wil’s point, the industry wasn’t ready for this technology yet. The FDA was timid in their approval for implants and the application of 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, so it took some time.”
He said additive manufacturing is a pivotal step in Paragon’s evolution and they needed to take that step. As the facility ultimately unfolds, Buck said it will have about $42 million invested in it.
“It’s a big deal,” he said.
He complimented Boren as a man of integrity, absolute ethics and who understands process, fidelity and relationships.
Paragon Medical has just under 650 employees across Pierceton and Warsaw, with the vast majority of those individuals in Pierceton, according to information provided by Paragon. Paragon Medical as a whole operates across 15 campuses worldwide and has over 2,500 employees.
For more information on Paragon Medical, visit www.paragonmedical.com.
The new additive manufacturing facility is supported by an initial investment of $16 million with an additional anticipated investment of $19 million over the next five years, according to a news release provided by Paragon Medical. With existing additive manufacturing design and production capabilities at Paragon Medical’s Innovation Center in Warsaw, this new investment “demonstrates Paragon Medical’s continued commitment to innovation in design and manufacturing, while enabling the medical device community to commercialize with excellence,” the release states.
Paragon broke ground on the additive manufacturing facility back on Sept. 23, 2021. Along with the ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday with the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, there were speakers, self-guided tours of the new facility and 3D printing and a lunch.
Before hundreds of Paragon Medical employees and invited guests, Dan Blum, vice president and general manager, said, “It’s a pretty momentous event for this campus and also for Paragon Medical. Today is really a culmination and we’re celebrating the grand opening of a 34,000-square-foot manufacturing facility purposely built and focused on additive manufacturing.”
He thanked a number of people and organizations for helping get Paragon to this point, including the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO), Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, Pierceton Town Council, OrthoWorx and JA Wagner Construction.
“It takes a lot to get us to the position that we’re at. It takes a lot of planning, it takes a lot of activity and it’s not just a celebration, it’s more of a testimonial to the passion that this entire team gives day in and day out to grow this campus, to grow our business and ultimately to support our clients and supporting the end-user,” Blum said.
The new additive manufacturing facility started with its approval in May 2021, breaking ground on Sept. 23, 2021, and on Sept. 9, 2022, installed the first printer in the facility, he said.
“We were in production and producing our first production product in March of this year. So about a year and a half, we go from bare dirt to producing product out of this facility and on this campus,” he stated. “... But there’s no way this could have happened without the commitment, without the support, without the dedication of the team members out here that helped make it (happen) day in and day out.”
KEDCO CEO Alan Tio thanked Paragon Medical and its entire team. With facilities around the world, he said Paragon could have chosen anywhere to put the new additive manufacturing facility, but they chose Pierceton.
“It’s a team effort. It takes a lot of partners. These are great celebrations but a lot of work that happens to get us here together,” Tio said.
Paragon CEO Wil Boren said he spent the majority of his career as a customer at Paragon Medical and always knew the company for its excellence in manufacturing and responsiveness.
“Paragon has an amazing track record, for lack of better words, of cutting and shaping metal and producing the highest-quality medical products,” he said.
Additive manufacturing is different in that it doesn’t cut metal but builds metal from the plate up.
“Our additive technology takes small particles of titanium powder, with the assistance of a complex laser, and we’re able to stack material layer upon layer. In essence, we add material until we build a product, hence the words ‘additive manufacturing,’” Boren explained.
Following the creation of the component, “we then have to machine it, we have to heat treat it, we have to clean it and then we have to sterilize it. This is a highly-complex process that requires a lot of talented people to manage it,” he said. Paragon Medical will be in a “unique” position in the marketplace as they are one of the very few in this segment that can conduct almost all of the steps it takes to manufacture an additive product. “So simply stated, when our plant is fully operational, we’ll do every step of the additive process with the exception of sterilization.”
Boren recalled back to 2004 how excited he was for the transformation additive manufacturing/3D printing would have on the orthopedic industry. Unfortunately, at that time, he said, the market wasn’t ready for it.
“So even at the time, our FDA, the governing body that actually approves new medical devices for approvals, was not approving many products. This is no longer true. This market is ready for more innovation and additive technology is here to make it even more exciting, and the FDA is approving hundreds of additive products a year,” Boren said.
He also talked about Paragon Medical founder Toby Buck and Vice President of Innovation and Technology Dan Owens.
“Additive manufacturing is really a dream these two individuals had many years ago. In fact, Toby just shared with me they were talking about this 15 years ago,” Boren said, adding that the new facility wouldn’t be possible without Buck’s leadership. To recognize Buck specifically, the board room in the facility is dedicated to him.
“So, in summary, we should all be excited about the addition of our one Paragon facility with additive manufacturing. This segment is going to grow to an $8 billion segment in manufacturing and it grows at 20% per year, so this will truly drive our future success,” Boren concluded.
Owens started out by saying, “If I can say one thing, we’ve came a long, long way. When I look around this parking lot, I’m just amazed at how much it has grown in the 32 years that I have been here.”
He said he and Buck have been talking and dreaming about the additive manufacturing for over 10 years. He thanked a number of people and organizations that helped along the way, including his God, Buck, American Securities and others.
Buck said, “As it relates to this facility, Owens would tell me, Buck, this is the fourth industrial revolution that’s coming at us. The conversation really probably took place over 10 years ago, but to reinforce Wil’s point, the industry wasn’t ready for this technology yet. The FDA was timid in their approval for implants and the application of 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, so it took some time.”
He said additive manufacturing is a pivotal step in Paragon’s evolution and they needed to take that step. As the facility ultimately unfolds, Buck said it will have about $42 million invested in it.
“It’s a big deal,” he said.
He complimented Boren as a man of integrity, absolute ethics and who understands process, fidelity and relationships.
Paragon Medical has just under 650 employees across Pierceton and Warsaw, with the vast majority of those individuals in Pierceton, according to information provided by Paragon. Paragon Medical as a whole operates across 15 campuses worldwide and has over 2,500 employees.
For more information on Paragon Medical, visit www.paragonmedical.com.
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