PIERCETON – On the same day Toby Buck marked his 53rd birthday, he marked the birth of his company, Paragon Medical.
Employees past and present, along with civic and political representatives, were on hand Friday afternoon as the Pierceton-based medical device company marked its 20th year.
In its 20 years, Paragon Medical has completed 11 acquisitions and shipped roughly $1 billion in product sold.
As employees enjoyed a catered lunch by Nelson’s in a tent set up outside the facility, Buck, one of the company’s founders, colorfully went through the company’s early history to today.
He noted some early setbacks, including a vote by the Warsaw City Council in the early 1990s that kept the company from receiving a $500,000 loan from the state of Indiana.
He noted that one person to vote in favor of Paragon Medical was now Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins.
He thanked Ernie for his support and friendship, and read a note that was attached to a bottle of Crown Royal Wiggins gave him as a gift.
The note was from Buck after the city council had turned down the loan request thanking Wiggins for his support.
Buck detailed the different locations and evolutions of his company.
He said a deal with St. Jude Medical helped make what was then Paragon Group into the Paragon Medical of today.
He thanked early employees like Dan Owens, Di Applegate, Mary Grace Craig and Shelley Shilling; thanked early shareholders and investors; and thanked his family, including his wife Donna and children Joshua, Jacob, Rachel and Moriah.
He noted the efforts of board member Leon Horn, and thanked his executive staff, which includes Gary McGill, Cory Colman, Debbie Yingling, Rick Stetler, Mike Gosmeyer and Van Flamion.
Buck also recognized former employees and those who have passed away, including Charlie Barrett.
“No man stands alone,” said Buck several times throughout Friday’s event.
“The whole thing is about relationships. Period,” said Buck. “I don’t know how to say thank you enough.”
Along with Wiggins, Congressman Marlin Stutzman was on hand and presented Buck with an Indiana flag.
Stutzman said Paragon Medical stands for what makes America great in terms of innovation and hard work.
“If the government ran its budget like Paragon Medical did, we’d be in a lot better shape,” said Stutzman.Paragon Medical is a tier-1, turnkey supplier of solutions and custom and standard trays, custom and standard surgical instrumentation, implantable components and design services to the medical device marketplace.
Besides Pierceton, the company has locations in Indianapolis, Smithfield, Utah, Switzerland and China.
For more information about Paragon Medical, visit ww.paragonmedical.com
