Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
DePuy Orthopaedics Inc., Warsaw, is building for the future. A groundbreaking ceremony took place Monday at 10 a.m. to officially kick off its nearly $14-million building expansion.
Due to the acquisition of DePuy by Johnson & Johnson in 1998, more than 200 new jobs were created in Warsaw in the last two years. DePuy's building expansion can now comfortably accommodate its 1,100 employees.
The construction project will span a four-phase period, with final completion scheduled for November 2001.
DePuy received approval for the expansion from Johnson & Johnson's medical device and diagnostic group general operating committee in August. In September, they received approval from the Johnson & Johnson executive committee.
DePuy has grown "very rapidly over the past 15 years," Michael Dormer, DePuy's company group chairman, worldwide franchise chairman and CEO, said. "We've outgrown our building. So we need this expansion ... ."
The expansion, according to Dormer, is "very much a commitment to Warsaw" and has "given us an opportunity to expand our facilities."
This is DePuy's ninth expansion since 1975 to accommodate growth. Parking lots are being created on the north and west sides of DePuy's building. Office space, manufacturing space, an on-site media center, additional research and development laboratories, an expanded cafeteria and a fitness center will comprise the additional 120,000 square feet.
"When completed, the overall building site will have increased from 296,000 to 410,000 square feet," Dick Riel, SOQ/process excellence leader and building project coordinator, said. "Two years ago we expanded distribution space by 35,000 square feet. So at this time we have fulfilled our immediate need for operations space."
DePuy manufactures and markets products and instruments for replacement of every major joint of the body and is one of the largest employers in Kosciusko County.
