Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
PIERCETON - Paragon Medical Inc. credited its employees for achieving a record year of global expansion and sales growth with recent wins in two major Indiana awards programs.
On June 10, Paragon's co-founder and chairman, Tobias Buck, was named the 2004 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the Life Sciences category. This honor, designed to celebrate the vision, leadership and achievement of Indiana's outstanding entrepreneurs, was awarded to Buck with a nod to the success and continued potential of Paragon.
Paragon also was honored in May with a 2004 Mira Award recognizing the state's best and brightest innovators in technology-related industries. Mira Awards, given by the nonprofit technology advocacy group, TechPoint, specifically noted Paragon's contribution to Indiana's economy, its global recognition and the improvements it has made to quality of life in Indiana.
The company and its employees celebrated Friday with a thank-you lunch. In return, the employees honored Buck with a trophy inscribed, "Vision of the Future, Toby Buck, 2004 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Paragon Medical Inc. We proudly congratulate our CEO. (From) The employees of Paragon Medical Inc."
Cory Colman, vice president business development, thanked employees for a record sales month in June - just under the $3 million mark.
He said, "We had an excellent second quarter as well, and it looks like the third quarter will be a record quarter."
He also announced to employees that Paragon has been named a preferred supplier for Smith and Nephew's orthopedic firm.
In addition to the awards, letters of commendation were on display to Buck from Gov. Joe Kernan, Rep. Mark Souder and State Sen. Kent Adams.
Gary McGill, COO, said, "It's incredible what you guys do to support this company. The responsibility comes straight from the top. You've seen Toby's unconditional love for everyone in the company." In presenting the employee award to Buck, McGill said, "It says a lot about the man and the company."
Buck said, "When I received the award, I didn't like it that it had my name on it; it's a reflection of collective efforts. What the organization has done is just fabulous. I just want to say thank you."
Both awards come on the heels of a year marked by major milestones for this growing company that include:
• Selection as a preferred supplier by several major orthopedics manufacturers seeking to streamline their global supply chain.
• Opening an office in Germany to better provide engineering and sales technical support to European customers.
• Achieving record quarters for sales and profits in the first half of 2004.
• Preparing to expand into a multi-facility campus.
"The global opportunities within the orthopedics marketplace are growing significantly," said Buck. "We have the people and the systems in place to embrace them." He added, "The key to our success is our people and culture of common objectives and collective support."
Paragon Medical Inc. designs, manufactures and delivers medical devices, including instruments, trials and implantable components for the global surgical instrument marketplace. It also designs, manufactures and delivers custom or standard cases and trays to organize, store and safely deliver surgical sets to the operating room theater.
Incorporated in 1991, it employs approximately 250 people with facilities in Pierceton; Memphis, Tenn.; and Freiburg, Germany. Most employees are in Pierceton, and growth plans are centered around expanding the local facilities.
When asked about what made him and Paragon so successful, Buck replied, "It's about family and growing up on a dairy farm in southeastern Minnesota. I have a very midwestern philosophy. When I accepted the E&Y award in Indianapolis, I said of my employees' success, 'Treat 'em right, play to their strengths, mitigate their weaknesses and never quit.'
"Orthopedics is one of the greatest markets in the world to participate in. We've been so blessed. You need to find good people, engage their hearts and keep them with you."
