Last week, city officials presented the Zimmer-Biomet Center Lake Pavilion to the community at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by a community open house. It was a real honor to showcase the iconic 88-year-old structure that has been the heart of Central Park since it was built in 1935.
The building renovations include a bright new interior space with an open view of Center Lake on the north and west sides of the building. There is a large meeting room and small conference room that can be used separately or combined into one large space. Along with new state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment and lighting, there is a new warming kitchen for catering and larger, relocated restrooms. The exterior has been redone with new windows, siding, roof and is highlighted by a new backlit façade sign.
I couldn't be prouder of Park Superintendent Larry Plummer and his department, our contractors, and city employees who collaborated to bring this project to our community. The building has a rich history of service to our city that includes a long list of uses for the benefit of our residents and their families! That proud history will now continue for hopefully another 88 years!
The philanthropic goal of the Zimmer-Biomet Foundation was to update the building for the benefit of the entire community! As such, they donated two and a half million dollars of the total three-million-dollar project. Renamed to honor their philanthropy, it will continue to be used as a public building for use by the entire community.
At the ribbon cutting with his team, the new president and CEO of Zimmer Biomet, Mr. Ivan Tornos, affirmed his commitment to our community and a long future in Warsaw. He said, “Great companies are anchored in great towns, based on great values, based on great families and that’s what we’ve got right here.”
Soon to celebrate their 100th birthday in Warsaw, their commitment is consensual! Since being founded by Justin Zimmer in 1926, the growth of our city has paralleled the growth of the company. Currently employing right at 5,000 team members in their Warsaw facilities, there are very ambitious plans to diversify and expand their global reach for years to come and “… this will continue to be the Global Headquarters of Zimmer Biomet,” said Tornos.
Our part of the bargain is to continue to provide a quality of life and amenities to our citizens that make Warsaw desirable and attractive to the skilled, quality workforce our industry partners need to remain competitive. We must be sure to include our other global orthopedic leader, DePuy-Synthes, the independent manufacturers, innovative startups, vendors and support industry partners that make us the “Orthopedic Capital of the World.”
In addition, there are hundreds of jobs locally that indirectly serve our robust industries. The synergy created from community engagement by our partners with the resources and commitment of our city is why we are indeed lucky to have each other.
Hope you get a chance to visit the new Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion soon!